28th  Congress, 
1st  tSessioii. 


Doc.  No  53. 


Ho.  of  Reps. 

War  Dept. 


SURVEY  OF  HUDSON  RIVER. 


LETIER 

FROM 

THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR, 

TRANSMITTING 

ilepoTt  of  Colonel  of  Corps  t)f  Topographical  Engineers,  relative  to  the 
exammai  'wn  and  survey  of  the  Hudson  river^ 


January  18,  1844. 
Read,  and  laid  upon  the  table. 


War  Department,  January  15,  1844. 

Sir:  In  answer  to  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
10th  instant,  requiring  the  Secretary  of  War  to  transmit  to  the  House  of 
Representatives  "  a  copy  of  the  report  of  Captain  Hughes,  of  the  corps 
of  topographical  engineers,  of  the  examination  and  survey  made  du- 
ring the  last  season,  of  the  Hudson  river  above  and  below  Albany,  with 
reference  to  the  navigation,  and  of  the  public  works  connected  with  the 
improvement  fhereof,"  1  respectfully  transmit,  herewith,  a  report  of  the 
Colonel  of  the  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers,  embracing  all  the  in- 
formation required. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

J.  M.  PORTER. 

Hon.  J.  W.  Jones, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 


Bureau  of  Topographical  Engineers, 
Washington^  January  15,  1844. 
Sir:  1  have  the  honor  of  transmitting,  herewith,  a  copy  of  the  report 
of  Captain  G.  W.  Hughes,  of  the  corps  of  topographical  engineers,  of 
his  survey  and  examination  of  the  Hudson  river ;  called  for  by  a  resolu- 
tion of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  10th  instant. 
Very  respectfully,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"J.  J.  ABERT, 
Colonel  Corps  of  Topographical  Enginee  rs. 

Hon.  J.  M.  Porter, 

Secretary  of  War. 


2         -Vr'^r  Doc.  No.  53. 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  Nove?pber  30,  1843. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  lay  before  you  the  following  report  on  the 
present  condition  of  that  portion  of  the  Hudson  river  embraced  between 
Troy  and  New  Baltuxiore,  and  of  the  public  works  erected  for  the  im- 
provement of  its  navigation. 

This  report  is  accompanied  by — 

1.  Six  sheets  of  charts,  on  a  scale  of  12  inches  to  one  mile,  exhibiting, 
in  much  detail,  the  bed  of  the  river;  the  number,  size,  and  relative  posi- 
tion of  its  numerous  islands,  shoals,  and  bars  ;  the  depth  of  water  over 
the  shallows,  at  ordinary  low  tide ;  the  direction  and  velocities  of  cur- 
rents at  various  points,  at  different  stages  of  freshets  and  tides  ;  and  the 
position,  extent,  and  dimensions  of  the  jetties,  piers,  and  dams  which 
have  been  completed,  and  of  those  which  are  proposed  for  future  con- 
struction. 

2.  A  chart  of  the  same  section  of  the  river,  on  a  like  scale  with  the 
above,  from  a  survey  by  John  Randall,  jr.,  in  1819. 

3.  The  journal  and  field-notes  (in  dupUcate)  of  the  recent  survey. 

In  connexion  with  this  subject,  there  are  also  on  file  in  the  Topograph- 
ical Bureau,  charts  from  a  survey  by  De  Witt  Clinton,  in  1831  ;  a  re- 
port (with  a  sketch  of  the  river)  by  a  special  board  of  engineers,  dated 
December  27,  1834;  several  charts  of  the  river  between  Troy  and  Van 
Wie's  point,  from  surveys  by  Captain  Brewerton,  at  difierent  times,  from 
1835  to  1839;  and  the  annual  reports  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  im- 
provement, to  the  period  when  further  operations  were  suspended,  in 
1839. 

We  are  thus  furnished  with  the  means  of  comparing  results  obtained 
by  our  recent  surveys,  with  those  that  had  been  previously  collected ; 
tracing  the  various  changes  and  modifications  which  have  taken  place  in 
the  condition  of  the  river  since  1819;  and  of  ascertaining,  with  some 
degree  of  accuracy,  the  laws  which  regulate  the  formation  of  bars  in  this 
portion  of  the  Hudson,  and  the  effects  which  have  been  produced  by  the 
works  heretofore  erected  for  the  purpose  of  removing  these  obstructions, 
and  preventing  their  future  accumulation. 

Although  fully  aware  of  the  many  difficulties  which  must  necessarily 
attend  the  attempt  to  improve  the  natural  bed  of  any  river,  and  being  duly 
impressed  with  the  importance  and  responsibility  which  attach  to  such  a 
proposition,  I  feel  that  the  question,  in  the  present  instance,  may  be  ap- 
proached with  less  of  diffidence  and  distrust  than  in  ordinary  cases,  since 
^e  may  avail  ourselves  of  the  actual  experience  gained  on  these  Avorks, 
and  of  the  numerous  facts,  relating  to  the  subject,  which  have  been  col- 
lected by  intelligent  observers  during  a  range  of  more  than  twenty-four 
years. 

The  obstructions  to  the  navigation  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  Hudson 
river  seem  to  have  attracted  public  attention  at  an  early  period  after  the 
Revolution.  The  State  of  New  York  at  last  took  the  matter  in  hand, 
and  made  a  beginning  by  an  appropriation  of  money,  in  1797;  between 
which  time  and  the  year  1818,  it  had  expended,  on  a  system  of  jetties  or 
wing-dams,  including  the  sloop-lock  and  dam  above  Troy,  the  sum  of 
$148,707  94,  besides  private  subscriptions  to  a  considerable  amount. 

It  is  stated  in  a  report  of  a  committee  of  the  New  York  House  of  As- 
sembly, in  1818,  that  three  plans  had  been  suggested  for  the  rivef  im- 
provement, viz : 


Doc.  No.  53. 


3 


1.  By  the  erection  of  piers  or  dams,  as  recommended  by  Mr.  Moore, 
Mr.  Beck  with,  and  the  commissioners  for  improvin":  the  navigation. 

2.  By  projecting  diiies  or  jetties,  as  adopted  by  IVlr>  Golborne,  in  deep* 
ening  the  river  Clyde,  in  Scodand. 

3.  By  constructing  an  independent  canal,  on  the  principle  of  Mr. 
Genet. 

Of  these  three  plans,  the  second  seems  to  have  been  preferred;  and  to 
this  unfortunate  selection  the  formation  or  increase  of  many  of  the  re- 
cent obstructions  to  the  navigation  are  plainly  referrible. 

The  temporary  advantage  which  had  been  derived  from  the  execution 
of  a  similar  plan  in  Scotland,  was  the  probable  cause  of  its  application  to 
the  Hudson. 

About  the  year  176S,  Mr.  John  Golborne,  an  eminent  civil  engineer, 
was  employed  by  the  city  of  Glasgow  to  devise  a  plan  for  the  purpose  of 
deepening  the  river  to  Greenock,  24  miles  below  the  city;  which  he  sub- 
sequently effected  by  means  of  jetties  projecting  from  the  river-shore  at 
right  angles  to  the  banks,  on  either  side,  and  placed  at  short  distances 
from  each  other  along  the  whole  course  of  the  navigation.  These  jetties 
were  not  intended  as  the  ultimate  means  of  improvement,  but  only  as 
auxiliary  thereto,  by  collecting  the  earth  and  gravel  brought  down  by 
successive  floods;  which  thus  furnished  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
materials  for  the  final  constructions,  free  uf  the  expense  of  carriage.  Be- 
sides this,  persons  were  employed  to  drag  or  dredge  out  the  channel,  and 
to  place  the  matter  thus  removed  behind  the  projecting  piers.  By  this 
process,  the  river  was  contracted  to  nearly  the  half  of  its  original  width, 
and  an  increase  of  about  four  feet  in  depth  was  the  consequence.  Re- 
cently, the  improvements  on  the  Clyde  have  been  completed  by  connect- 
ing together  the  outer  extremities  of  the  jetties  with  longitudinal  dikes  ; 
thus  creating  a  very  nearly  uniform  width  to  the  river,  and  producing  a 
near  approximation  to  a  uniform  slope  of  the  bed,  by  means  of  dredging, 
and  permitting  the  deep  holes  to  fill  up,  to  a  certain  depth,  with  sedimen- 
tary deposites.^ 


*  it  appears  from  ihe  report  of  Mr.  John  Smeaton,  (September  3,  1755,)  on  the  condition  ot 
the  river  Clyde,  ihat  the  rise  of  iide  at  Gia-gow  was  only  1  foot  9  inches;  while  at  Port  Glas- 
gow, 18^  miles  below,  it  was  11  feet — fhe  ditlerence  between  these  being  9  feet  3  inches.  But, 
.since  the  improvernenis  have  been  finished,  and  the  shoals  removed,  it  has  been  ascertained 
that  the  present  rise  of  tide  at  spring-tides  at  Glasgow,  averages  8  feet  6  inches;  and  that  the 
difference  between  the  ordmary  tides  at  Glasgow  and  Port  Glasgow  is,  consequently, '2  leet  t^. 
inches,  in  place  ol  9  feet  3  inches,  as  in  1755. 

Mr.  Saieaton  stated  the  depth  of  water  on  several  of  the  shoals,  including  the  "  Hint 
shoal,"  to  be  1  foot  G  inches,  m  1755.  In  17(38,  iVlr.  Golborne  found  the  depth  on  "Hint 
shoal"  to  be  only  12  inches. 

In  1769,  Mr.  James  Watis  found  it  to  be  14  inches. 

In  1833,  ihe  available  depth  at  ordinary  low  water  was  found  to  be  5  feet  G  inches,  which 
shows  an  increased  depth  at  low  water  of  7  feet  4  inches.  Now,  if  to  this  be  added  G  feel  9 
inches  (the  ascertained  incicased  flow  since  the  works  were  completed)  on  ''Hint  shool,-'  we 
have  11  feet  1  inch  as  the  total  improvement  in  depth  at  high  water  sprmg-iidcs  in  the  naviga- 
iion  of  the  river  up  to  the  city  of  Glasgow. 

The  increased  flow  of  tide  between  the  longitudinal  dikes,  has  also  had  the  eireci  of  deepen- 
ing the  channel  for  some  distance  below  the  termination  of  the  works  at  Dumbiii  k  ford. 

It  appears  by  the  returns  of  the  harhor-inas'er  of  Glasgow,  that  in  1833,  there  had  arrived  at 
lhai  port  3'2  ships  drawing  more  than  1-2  teei  w. iter  — one  being  of  14  feet  6  inches  draught. 

In  1827  a  careful  survey  of  the  Clyde  was  made  by  Mr.  Kyle,  of  Glasgow,  from  which  it 
appears  that  the  tide  rises  in  that  river,  throu^hent  its  whole  cotirse,  to  the  same  level,  (between- 
Port  Glasgow  and  the  ciiyot  Glasgow.)  Hi.<?  numerous  sonndinffs  show  rbai  no  bfirs  have- 
been  formed  by  the  alterations  effected  in  the  bed  of  the  river. 

The  jellies  were  made  of  grass  sods,  faced  with  rubble-stone,  when  not  much  exposed  to  lha 


4 


Doc.  No.  53. 


The  system  of  jetties  (if  system,  it  could  be  called)  having  signally- 
failed  to  produce  the  desired  effect  on  the  Hudson,  a  commission  was 
appointed  in  1819,  to  report  on  the  condition  of  the  river,  and  the  best 
means  for  its  improvement.  Governor  Clinton,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  and  Mr. 
Genet,  were  members  of  this  board;  and  under  its  auspices  the  first  hy- 
drographic  survey  of  the  river,  previously  referred  to,  was  made  by  Mr. 
Randall,  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year. 

Mr.  Genet  was  permitted  to  present  to  the  Legislature  his  individual 
views  of  the  important  question  submitted  to  the  investigations  of  the 
commission,  the  other  members  declming  to  express  an  opinion  on  the 
merits  of  the  projet.  With  his  accustomed  zeal  and  ability,  Mr.  Genet 
urged  the  construction  of  a  ship-canal  from  Greenbush  to  a  point  called 

Vyvede  Hook,"  between  Coeyman's  and  New  Baltimore ;  and  the  im- 
provement of  the  bed  of  the  river,  between  Albany  and  Troy,  by  a  sys- 
tem of  longitudinal  dikes,  as  the  plan  best  calculated  to  remove,  or  rather 
to  avoid,  the  difficulties  attending  the  natural  navigation.  The  following 
extract  embodies  the  most  important  facts  collected  from  the  survey. 

"  Those  maps,  (referring  to  Randall's,)  better  than  the  words  can  ex- 
press, will  exhibit  the  submarine  state  of  things  in  the  region  of  the  ob- 
structions ;  and  the  parts  of  the  general  observations  which  they  cannot 
depict  shall  be  stated  as  follows : 

''1.  That  from  the  flats  of  Greenbush,  opposite  Albany,  to  the  deep 
waters  below  New  Baltimore,  the  average  fall  of  the  land  does  not  exceed 
one  foot  and  a  half;  that  the  high  water  at  Albany  and  Schodack,  at  the 
•distance  of  12  miles,  is  on  a  level;  that  the  diff'erence  between  high 
and  low  water  is,  at  Troy,  one  foot;  at  Albany,  two;  and,  at  New  Balti- 
more, 3  feet  6  inches,  as  the  tide- table  will  show  ;  and  the  average  sur- 
face of  the  lowest  grounds  between  Schodack  and  Greenbush,  is  1.9  foot 
below  common  high  water. 

2.  That  through  the  whole  extent  of  that  flat  basin,  the  river  offers  a 
true  archipelago  of  islands,  shoals,  and  bars,  baffling,  by  their  formation, 
site,  and  extent,  all  the  theories  of  hydraulics,  as  applied'  to  other  streams. 
As  an  evidence  of  that  peculiarity  at  the  place  denominated  the  Over- 
slaugh, the  following  curious  phenomenon  happens  :  At  that  spot,  the 
river  is  narrower  than  at  any  other  below  Albany;  the  channel  is  contract- 
ed on  one  side  by  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  elevated  dams,  on  the 
other  by  an  island  ;  and  still,  through  those  narrows,  almost  a  mile  in 
extent,  the  channel  is  swifter,  and  at  the  same  time  corrodes  less  the 
bottom,  than  at  places  where  the  surface  of  the  water  has  more  expansion, 
and  the  channel  less  contraction.* 

"3.  That  from  the  city  of  Troy  to  the  city  of  Albany,  at  the  low-water 
mark  of  last  summer,  taken  at  the  ferry  of  Albany,  and  upon  which  the 


current,  and  of  a  solid  pyramidal  bank  of  stones  towards  their  extremities.  They  were  raised 
only  to  the  height  of  ordinary  low  tide^-;  in  consequence  of  which  deficiency  of  height,  the 
overfall,  in  high  floods,  removed  much  of  the  matter  deposited  between  the  jetties  by  low 
floods,  and  prevented  the  complete  silling  up. 

The  parallel  dikes  were  all  built  of  rubble  whinstone,  which  cost  Is.  9d.  per  ion,  delivered 
into  the  bank.  The  dikes  have  been  generally  raised  to  the  level  of  high  water  spring-tides, 
and  were  built,  for  the  greater  part,  in  10  leet  water  at  low  tide. 

See  appendix  to  *'  W.  A.  Brooks,  on  the  Improvement  of  Rivers." 

♦  This  is  easily  enough  explained  by  supposing  (what  we  know  to  be  the  fact)  that  the  bat 
was  formed  of  very  coarse  gravel,  by  ibe  .'iciion  of  the  ice. 


Doc  No  53. 


5 


soundings  have  uniformly  been  gauged,  there  are  not  less  than  eight 
shoals,  over  which  the  depth  of  water  averages  from  3  to  4.5  feet. 

"4.  That  through  the  city  of  Albany,  the  water  is  shallow  where  the 
docks  form  a  curve,  and  deepens  where  they  present  a  straight  line  to  the 
current — as  is  the  case  below  the  public  watering-place,  and  at  many  other 
straight  docks,  solid  high  banks,  or  rocks,  above  and  below  Albany. 

"5.  That  sonth  of  Albany,  as  far  as  Casdeton,  the  water  in  general 
is  shallow,  and  over  five  extensive  bars  varies  in  its  depth  from  4.5  to  5.6 
feet. 

^'6.  That  between  Castleton  and  New  Baltimore,  there  are  more  inter- 
vals of  deep  water,  and  only  five  bars  ;  over  which  the  water  varies  from 
3.5  to  7  feet. 

"7.  That  from  New  Baltimore  to  Hudson,  following  the  east  channel, 
the  depth  of  water  averages  17  feet — except  at  one  place,  one  mile  below 
New  Baltimore,  where,  at  the  lowest  water,  the  depth  is  11.8  feet. 

"8.  That  by  the  mutual  operation  of  the  dams,  bars,  and  island,  on  a 
base  almost  destitute  of  declivity,  between  Troy  and  New  Baltimore,  the 
channel  is  extremely  circuitous,  resembling  perfectly  the  sinuous  curves 
of  a  serpent ;  and  at  several  places  presenting  to  the  ablest  pilots  diffi- 
culties almost  insurmountable,  unless  the  most  favorable  circumstances 
concur  to  assist  them. 

^'9.  That  the  sphere  of  action  of  the  dams  already  built  is  very  limited, 
and  so  much  circumscribed,  that,  at  the  fish-house  dam,  between  Albany 
and  Troy,  a  large  bank  of  loose  sand  has  seated  itself  at  a  distance  of  six 
rods  between  the  angle  of  a  considerable  dam  erected  there,  and  the  mar- 
gin of  a  channel  procured  since  by  the  aid  of  a  mud-turtle. 

"10.  That  the  portion  or  section  of  the  main  body  of  the  current,  in- 
tercepted laterally  by  the  various  dams  built  in  the  river  by  the  State, 
instead  of  being  repelled  in  a  certain  angle  across  the  stream  on  the  other 
shore,  (as  the  hydraulists  are  apt  to  think,)  incorporates  itself,  on  the  con- 
trary, with  the  i^iain  body  of  the  current,  and  contributes  to  increase  its 
velocity  at  the  point  of  meeting.  An  experiment  has  proved  it:  light 
bodies  thrown  at  the  transverse  dam  at  the  Overslaugh,  have  turned  short 
at  the  corner  of  the  dam,  and  have  been  carried  down  with  the  main  cur- 
rent. It  must,  however,  be  understood,  that  this  observation  is  only 
applicable  to  lateral  transversal  dams;  and  that  where  the  whole  body  of 
the  current  strikes  perpendicular  rocks,  or  hard  and  high  formations  above 
the  highest  freshets,  it  corrodes  at  the  base,  deepens  the  channel,  and  is 
repelled  in  an  angle  of  reflection  nearly  equal  to  the  angle  of  incidence — 
as  it  may  be  observed  at  the  bluff  below  the  Cuyler  bar,  and  also  at  the 
^Hogeheberge,  and  at  several  other  places. 

"11.  That  where  perpendicular  rocks,  straight  banks,  or  a  continuity  of 
straight  and  perpendicular  docks,  parallel  to  the  current,  compel  the  water 
in  contact  with  them  to  pursue  a  straight  course,  the  bed  of  the  river  is 
also  deeper,  and  the  velocity,  protracted  longitudinally,  extends  further 
than  it  does  under  the  operation  of  dams  running  crosswise;  as  it  has 
been  observed  at  a  chain  of  perpendicular  high  rocks,  and  a  straight, 
steep  bank  on  the  opposite  shore,  below  Coeyman's  Overslaugh,  and  also 
at  other  places.  The  same  fact  has  been  noticed  in  Italy,  by  the  cele- 
brated Father  Frisi,  aii  hydrauHc  engineer  of  the  first  abilities,  who  con- 
fesses that  if  all  the  public  money  wasted  in  the  fruitless  construction 
of  transversal  dams,  dikes,  and  jetties,  to  improve  streams  having  a  ten- 


Doc.  No.  53. 


dency  to  fill  up  their  bed,  were  appropriated  for  the  building  of  lon^flfu- 
dinal  docks^  running  in  a  parallel  line  with  those  streams,  it  would  be 
much  wiser. 

"12.  That  the  velocity  of  the  current  is  so  considerably  increased  at 
several  dams  above  Albany,  that  vessels,  and  even  boats,  cannot  re-ascend 
against  their  impetus,  unless  propelled  by  very  brisk  breezes,  or  extraor- 
dinary exertions  ;  the  velocity  between  the  United  States  arsenal,  where 
there  is  no  dam,  and  below  Van  Buren's  dam,  being  in  the  proportion  of 
1  to  3. 

"13.  That  the  alluvial  deposites  worked  upon  by  the  dams  have  regener- 
ated new  bars  and  islands  below  their  sphere  of  action;  a  fact  well  ac- 
counted for  by  hydraulics,  and  confirmed  by  the  hydrography  of  therivery 
as  well  as  personal  testimony  annexed  to  this  report. 

"14.  That  the  tidal  waters  of  the  Hudson  keep  in  distinct  strata,  or 
layers,  under  the  descending  water  from  above,  and  lift  them  bodily  up- 
wards, though  the  current  continues  to  flow.  Mr.  Randall  has  particu- 
larly noticed  it  below  Van  Buren  bar,  two  miles  below  Troy,  Avhere  the 
current  seems  to  swell  greatly,  but  very  seldom  ascends  on  the  surface, 
while  at  Troy  it  swells  and  ascends.*  An  observation  illustrative  of  this 
remarkable  phenomenon  is  reported  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Edinburgh 
Society  of  1818,  by  Mr.  Stephenson,  civil  engineer,  who  states  that  not 
only  the  salt,  but  the  tidal  waters  altogether,  keep  below  the  current  in 
the  river  Dee,  and  lift  it  upwards,  without  interrupting  its  course  in  a 
sensible  manner. 

"15.  That  the  dams  built  below  Albany,  and  particularly  at  the  Over- 
slaugh, have  the  eflect  of  raising  the  waters  retrospectively  above  their 
usual  elevation;  and  that,  in  common  freshets,  the  water  is  8  feet  higher 
at  Albany  than  at  Castleton." 

Mr.  Genet's  proposition,  although  generally  well  received,  was  not 
adopted;  and  the  whole  matter  rested  till  the  spring  of  1831 — the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Federal  Government  having  been,  in  the  mean  time,  extended 
over  these  waters  by  judicial  decision — when  De  Witt  Clinton,  esq.,  a 
civil  engineer  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  was  directed  to  con- 
duct a  hydrographical  survey  of  the  Hudson  river,  from  Waterford  to 
New  Baltimore,  under  specific  instructions  from  the  Topographical  Bu- 
reau. The  report,  charts,  and  plans,  prepared  in  accordance  with  those 
instructions,  were  sent  by  the  Chief  of  the  Topographical  Bureau  to 
the  War  Department,  on  the  30th  of  March,  1832,  from  whence  they 
were  transmitted  to  Congress  on  the  same  day. 

The  plan  to  which  we  have  referred  above,  was,  "to  excavate  straight 
channels  in  the  direction  of  the  current,  through  the  different  shoals  and' 
bars,  of  sufficient  width  and  depth  to  accommodate  the  trade;  to  construct 
parallel  or  single  piers  afterwards,  wherever  necessary  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  the  water  in  the  low  state  of  the  river,  and  to  confine  it  to  one 
channel,  and  to  prevent  too  great  velocity  of  current  during  floods,  to 
let  the  water  pass  over  the  works;  to  secure  the  channel  from  being  in- 
jured by  the  wash  from  the  shores  and  islands;  to  protect  their  sides, 
wherever  necessary,  by  wharfing,  or  by  loose  masses  of  stone ;  to  place 


*  The  verification  of  this  fiict  has  entirely  escaped  my  ^crntiny.  In  rll  frcslitis  the  water 
rises  and  falls  with  the  tide,  but  the  current  docs  not  ".-ei  '  upsiieaii;;  ihat  i.-  to  .say,  i  1km e  is 
no  perceptible  flood-tide. 


Doc  No.  53 


7 


the  soil  excavated  from  the  channels  in  the  piers,  or  other  secure  places, 
to  prevent  its  being  again  carried  down  by  the  stream  ;  to  have  a  dredge 
always  at  command,  to  remove  any  local  obstructions  after  the  works  are 
completed,  and  to  secure  them  against  ice-floods ;  to  construct  ice-hold- 
ers, or  breakers;  and  to  provide  beacons  and  monuments  to  assist  in  the 
night  and  day  navigation  of  the  river." 

The  engineer  adds :  "The  reason  why  I  propose  local  excavation  be- 
fore the  construction  of  the  piers,  or  at  the  same  time,  is  to  prevent  the 
danger  of  the  soil,  if  the  piers  were  first  constructed,  iDcing  carried  down 
and  deposited  in  some  new  place.  The  ice  being  kept  back  by  the  pro- 
posed works,  it  would  impinge  with  less  force,  and  in  less  masses  and 
quantities,  than  it  would  otherwise  ;  and  the  soil  being  disposed  of  as  I 
have  suggested,  there  would  be  no  danger  of  its  again  troubling  the  bed 
of  the  stream." 

This  plan  for  the  improvement  of  the  river  was  sanctioned  by  Con- 
gress in  the  act  of  30th  June,  1834,  making  an  appropriation  of  $70,000 
towards  its  accomplishment. 

At  the  request  of  Captain  Talcott,  of  the  corps  of  engineers,  who  had 
been  charged  with  the  execution  of  the  work,  the  whole  subject  was  re- 
ferred to  a  board  of  engineers,  (composed  of  Colonel  Totten,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Thayer,  and  Captain  Talcott,)  which  was  especially  instructed 
"to  review  two  projects  which  had  been  suggested — the  one  by  a  canal, 
and  the  other  by  deepening  the  bed  of  the  river;  and  to  give  its  opinion 
as  to  their  relative  merit  and  practicability,  accompanied  by  estimates  of 
cost." 

The  board  of  engineers,  after  analyzing  the  question  with  great  skill 
and  ability,  and  after  discussing  the  two  projects  with  nmch  labor  and 
detail,  fincdly  recommended  that  the  attempt  to  improve  the  navigation  be 
confined  to  the  bed  of  the  river;  and  they  say,  "The  ideas  we  have  adopt- 
ed are:  that,  if  the  river  be  confined  between  banks  of  such  height,  and 
at  such  a  distance  from  each  other,  that  the  velocity  of  the  water  therein, 
when  the  banks  are  full,  shall  liave  the  intensity  of  action  called  for  by 
the  nature  of  the  bottom,  then  the  channel  will  be  deepened;  and,  if  the 
proportion  of  height  and  breadth,  called  for  by  the  nature  of  the  bottom, 
be  everywhere  duly  observed,  then  the  depth  will  be  uniform.  It  is  the 
flood,  then,  on  which  we  rely ;  but  not  on  all  the  flood,  for  several  reasons: 
1st.  Because  certain  localities  may  require  a  lateral  restriction;  such  that, 
if  all  the  flood  were  kept  in,  the  corrosion  of  the  bottom  would  be  too 
great — endangering  the  structures,  and  bearing  into  the  lower  portions  of 
the  river  an  unnecessary,  and  perhaps  hurtful,  amount  of  matter.  2d.  Be- 
cause it  is  desirable  that  the  ice  which  accompanies  the  crest  of  the  flood 
should  pass  over  the  dikes  without  injury  to  them.  3d.  Because,  by  al- 
lowing the  height  of  the  flood,  when  the  waters  are  most  turbid,  to  pass 
freely  over  into  the  numerous  lateral  channels  and  basins,  a  great  amount 
of  deposite  will  be  made  therein,  which  would  otherwise  be  transferred 
into  the  lower  river." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  special  board  of  engineers  recommended 
essentially  the  same  plan  which  had  been  previously  sanctioned  by  the 
Topographical  Bureau,  and  transmitted  to  Congress  on  the  30th  March, 
1832,  and  adopted  by  that  body  in  the  act  of  30th  June,  1834;  diflTering 
from  the  general  principles  of  that  plan  only  in  trusting  mainly  to  the 
scour  of  the  river,  when  its  bed  has  been  contracted  by  artificial  works, 


8 


Doc.  No.  53, 


rather  than  to  the  operation  of  dredging  simultaneonsly  wiih  the  erection 
of  the  dikes,  for  the  removal  of  the  bars. 

In  looking  forward  to  a  resumption  of  the  works  of  improvement  on 
the  Hudson  river,  a  short  retrospective  view  of  what  has  been  already  ac- 
complished may  be  neither  uninteresting  nor  unimportant.  In  this  behef 
I  have  prepared  the  following  brief  history  of  these  works,  (from  the  re- 
ports of  the  superintending  engineer,)  from  the  commencement  of  opera- 
tions by  the  United  States,  till  their  suspension  for  the  want  of  further  ap- 
propriations, at  the  close  of  the  year  1839. 

In  the  spring  of  1836,  contracts  were  made  for  the  construction  of  four 
steam  dredges  and  twenty  lighters;  and,  during  the  summer  of  ihe  same 
year,  1,752  linear  feet  of  the  dike  between  Bogert's  and  Beacon  islands 
were  built,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the  upper  Overslauo-h  bar;  42,235 
cubic  yards  of  sand  were  taken  from  that  locality,  and  placed  in  the  dike;, 
and  portions  of  the  channel  shores  of  Bogeri^s,  Beacon,  and  Papscannee 
islands  were  protected,  by  stone  revetments,  from  the  action,  of  the  run- 
ning water. 

The  original  plan  contemplated  the  construction  of  wooden  piers,  or 
cribs  of  timber,  filled  with  stone,  sand,  and  gravel,  secured  in  position  by 
piles,  and  rendered  water-tight  at  bottom  by  means  of  fascines,  to  prevent 
the  underwash.  On  the  recommendation  of  Captain  Talcott,  an  import- 
ant improvement  was  introduced  in  the  building  of  the  piers  and  dams, 
as  well  in  the  mode  of  their  construction  as  in  the  constituent  materials 
of  which  they  were  composed — by  using  the  sand,  gravel,  and  mud,  exca- 
vated from  the  bars,  for  forming  the  body  of  the  works,  and  revetting  their 
faces  and  crests  with  stones  carefully  laid. 

The  lateral  dams  were  to  be  built  in  the  same  manner;  and  both  dikes 
and  dams,  where  most  exposed  to  the  hydrostatical  pressure,  wer^  to  be 
puddled,  to  prevent  the  percolation  of  water.  The  structures  which  have 
been  built  on  this  plan  have  been  found  to  answer  admirably  the  purposes 
of  stability  in  resisting  the  pressure  of  the  water,  the  abrading  action  of 
the  floods,  and  the  impact  of  the  ice  upon  its  breaking  up  in  the  spring. 

As  far  as  the  works  were  extended  the  first  year,  beneficial  results  fol- 
lowed; but,  beyond  the  extremity  of  the  Overslaugh  dike,  no  improvement 
was  effected,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  old  difficulties  were  considerably 
aggravated;  for  the  water,  being  no  longer  restrained  by  the  dikes,  sud- 
denly spread  over  a  much  wider  space,  producing  a  corresponding  dimi- 
nution of  velocity;  in  consequence  of  which,  much  of  the  alluvion  which 
had  been  detached  from  the  bed  of  the  river  by  the  increased  velocity, 
was,  as  might  have  been  anticipated,  again  deposited^n  the  channel  lower 
down. 

In  the  summer  of  1836,  Congress  voted  an  additional  appropriation  of 
$100,000  towards  the  improvement  of  the  Hudson  river,  and  directed  that 
di  pro-rata  expenditure  of  that  sum  should  be  made  "above  and  below  Al- 
bany." 

Operations  were  resumed  this  year  at  the  Overslaugh  on  the  10th  of 
August,  and  the  dredging  of  the  channel  was  carried  on  simuhaneously 
with  the  construction  of  the  dikes.  In  the  course  of  the  summer,  4,229 
cubic  yards  were  removed  from  the  bar,  and  2,208  linear  feet  of  dike  com- 
pleted— leaving  869  feet  unfinished,  about  midway  between  the  two 
islands.  It  being  considered  highly  important  that  this  gap  should  be 
closed  before  the  spring  ice-flood  should  occur;  and  the  fund  having  been 


Doc  No.  53. 


9 


nearly  exhausted,  the  cities  of  Troy  and  Albany  advanced  the  necessary 
amount  to  nearly  complete  this  portion  of  the  work.  \ly  resorting  to  a 
gravel-bank  on  the  west  shore,  near  the  seat  of  operations,  and  hauling 
the  materials  out  on  the  ice,  the  gap  was  filled  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
crest  of  the  dike  before  the  breaking  up  of  the  river.  The  works  sustain- 
ed no  material  injury  from  the  freshet,  although  the  ice  had  frozen  to  an 
unusual  thickness;  and,  when  the  water  had  subsided,  it  was  found  that 
most  beneficial  results  had  been  experienced  from  its  action  on  the  bar;  and 
that,  where  the  greatest  obstruction  had  existed  the  preceding  summer,  op- 
posite the  upper  extremity  of  old  Overslaugh  dam,  the  water  had  been 
deepened  7  feet — that  is  to  say,  there  was  11  feet  of  water,  where, 
previously,  there  had  been  only  4  feet.  Below  the  extremity  of  the 
dike  (where  it  had  been  completely  finished  to  its  full  height)  the  effects 
had  not  been  so  striking,  although  the  depth  of  water  had  been  increased 
2  or  3  feet. 

Captain  Brewerton,  the  superintending  engineer,  complains  that  his 
operations  were  much  retarded  in  1836,  in  consequence  of  the  late  period 
at  which  the  appropriation  became  available.  Early  in  1837,  a  further 
sum  of  $100,000  was  granted  for  this  object;  and  operations  were  re- 
sumed this  year  in  good  season.  The  ice-flood  having  separated  the 
presqu^ile,  called  Westerlo's  island,  from  the  main,  it  became  necessary 
to  restore  the  connexion,  in  order  to  cut  off  the  flow  of  water  through  tlie 
west  channel,  by  the  erection  of  a  dam ;  which  was  accordingly  built. 
Another  dam,  421  feet  long,  was  also  built,  from  Bogert's  to  Westerlo's 
island,  for  the  purpose  of  concentrating  the  entire  volume  of  the  river  on 
the  Overslaugh  bar.  Dike  No.  1,  section  No.  3,  was  finished,  and  the 
crest  adjusted  to  a  longitudinal  slope,  corresponding  with  the  inclined 
plane  of  the  surface  of  the  flood.  The  foot  of  the  channel  slope  was  cov- 
ered with  stone,  and  the  revetments  with  sand,  for  their  further  protec- 
tion. The  length  of  this  dike  is  4,324  feet.  Some  progress  was  also 
made  in  the  reipoval  of  "Van  Wie's  pier"  and  the  "old  Overslaugh  dam  ;" 
and  a  portion  of  the  shore  of  Beacon  island,  which  had  been  worn  away, 
was  filled  with  sand,  and  revetted  with  stone. 

In  the  latter  part  of  June,  dike  No.  2,  section  No.  3,  running  from  the 
foot  of  Beacon  island  towards  Yan  Wie's  point,  was  commenced,  with 
the  view  of  damming  the  lower  Overslaugh  bar;  2,050  feet  of  this  dike  were 
completed  this  season,  besides  about  1,500  feet  of  "piling  and  brushing" 
on  the  line  of  the  works,  intended  to  give  direction  and  efficiency  to  tiie 
current  after  passing  the  termination  of  the  dike. 

During  the  year  1837,  there  was  removed  from  the  Overslaugh  bars 
112,41 1.48  cubic  yards  of  dirt,  and  deposited  in  the  works;  besides  12,266.85 
cubic  yards,  which,  for  the  sake  of  economy,  was  taken  from  the  river 
bed  at  convenient  places,  but  where  it  was  not  likely  to  benefit  the  navi- 
gation. 

Some  increased  embarrassment  was  experienced  this  season,  by  the 
shipping,  on  the  lower  Overslaugh,  owing  to  the  extraordinary  low  water, 
and  to  the  fact  of  the  works  running  across  an  artificial  channel,  called  the 
"  dug  way ;"  which  Captain  Brewerton  satisfactorily  explains  in  his  an- 
nual report. 

The  operations  on  the  two  first  sections  of  the  river,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  works  till  the  close  of  1837,  were  limited  to  dredging  such 
portions  of  the  channel  between  the  "sloop-lock"  (dam)  and  Troy  as  were 


10 


Doc.  No.  53. 


necessary  to  produce  a  depth  of  at  least  6 J  feet  at  low  watei  ,  to  construct- 
ing dike  No.  I,  section  No.  2,  running  from  Port  Schuyler  to  Beacon 
island,  for  the  removal  of  Washington  and  V^an  Buren  bars ;  to  the  dredg- 
ing of  106,444.53  cubic  yards  of  gravel  from  those  bars ;  and  to  the  revet- 
ting, with  stone,  of  the  channel  banks  of  Breaker's  island,  and  portions  of 
Hart's  and  Hillhouse  islands. 

In  1838,  a  further  appropriation  of  <^10(),000  was  made  by  Con- 
gress, accompanied  with  the  restriction,  however,  that  not  more  than 
fifty  per  cent,  of  it  should  be  expended  in  that  year.  In  anticipation  of 
this  appropriation,  (which  did  not,  in  fact,  become  available  till  the  better 
portion  of  the  working  season  had  elapsed,)  the  corporate  authorities  of 
Albany  and  Troy  placed  the  sum  of  ^|5i5,000  at  the  disposal  of  the  er)gi- 
neer,  who  was  thus  enabled  to  resume  operations  as  early  as  the  12th  of 
April. 

The  ice-flood  of  this  spring  having  been  very  moderate,  but  little  action 
was  exerted  on  the  bars. 

The  principal  freshet  of  this  year  occurred  on  the  29th  of  May ;  on 
which  day  the  water  rose  from  six  inches  to  one  foot  above  the  crest  of 
the  dike  at  Port  Schuyler,  and  just  flowed  over  the  dike  at  the  lower  Ov^er- 
slaugh.  This  flood  inflicted  a  good  deal  of  injury  on  the  dam  connecting 
Westerlo  island  with  the  main,  the  upper  Overslaugh  dike,  and  the  dam 
unitino:  Bogert's  and  Westerlo's  islands  ;  all  of  which  structures  were  re- 
paired during  the  season.  In  rebuilding  the  Westerlo  dike,  it  was  length- 
ened 197  feet,  and  was  puddled,  to  render  it  more  secure — a  precaution 
which  was  also  observed  in  repairing  the  dam  above  mentioned. 

During  this  season,  the  grading  of  3,400  feet  of  dike  No.  2,  section  No. 
3,  was  completed,  and  the  stone  revetment  of  the  faces  for  the  same  dis- 
tance nearly  finished,  when  the  sudden  and  unexpected  closing  of  the 
river  by  ice  suspended  further  proceedings. 

It  appears,  by  the  annual  report  on  the  progress  of  the  works  for  1839, 
that  the  operations  in  the  preceding  year  were  brought  to  a  close  on  the 
26th  November,  by  the  freezing  up  of  the  river.  Between  the  30t]i  Sep- 
tember, 1838,  and  the  time  of  suspending  operations,  the  cut  in  dike  No. 
1,  at  the  Ov^erslaugh,  was  completed  ;  and  400  linear  feet  of  the  embank- 
ment of  dike  No.  2,  with  a  terminating  slope  of  40  feet,  were  also  finished. 
The  crest  of  the  unfinished  portion  of  the  dike,  as  well  as  a  part  of  the 
channel  slope,  were  considerably  injured  by  a  freshet  on  the  15th  Novem- 
ber, which  rose  about  9|  feet  above  ordinary  low  water  at  Troy,  covering 
the  crest  of  dike  No.  1  at  Port  Schuyler  about  six  inches,  and  reaching 
to  within  one  foot  of  the  crest  of  dike  No.  1  at  the  Overslaugh;  about  100 
feet  of  the  lower  end  of  dike  No.  2  was  washed  away,  it  not  having  been 
revetted.  Before  the  close  of  the  year,  dam  No.  2,  connecting  Bogert's 
island  with  the  west  shore,  was  finished,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
portion  of  the  apron.  The  protection  of  the  lower  end  of  Bogert's  island 
was  also  completed.  The  whole  amount  of  sand  and  j^ravel  excavated  from 
the  "lower  Overslaugh,"  during  the  months  of  October  and  November, 
and  entering  into  the  construction  of  the  dikes,  was  23,997.13  cubic  yards. 
The  amount  of  money  remaining  on  hand  the  1st  January,  1839,  for  the 
service  of  that  year,  was  $52,268  02. 

As  no  part  of  the  appropriation  for  1838  had  been  applied  to  the  im.- 
provement  between  Troy  and  Albany,  it  became  necessary,  in  this  year. 


Doc.  No  53. 


11 


ill  order  to  comply  with  the  pro-rata  provision  of  the  law,  to  expend  the 
most  of  the  fund  on  hand  between  the  two  cities. 

The  "  Fish-house  shoal"  was  selected,  as  being  the  most  difficult  ob- 
struction on  this  section  of  the  river,  for  the  first  improvement.  The  sand 
and  gravel  for  the  dike  projected  for  this  locality  were  taken  from  the 
lower  extremity  of  the  Round  shoals.  A  dam  was  also  commenced,  con- 
necting Patroon's  upper  island  with  the  west  shore,  and  finished  the  29th 
June;  the  gravel  for  the  embankment  having  been  procured  from  the 
Round  shoals.  This  dam  is  puddled  its  entire  length  and  depth,  from 
the  low- water  level  to  its  crest.  Its  profile  is  a  modified  one  of  the  dams 
constructed  on  the  lower  section,  having  a  horizontal  crest  of  4  feet  in 
width,  its  up-stream  slope  being  broken  into  two  flices — the  superior  one, 
of  G  feet  in  width,  having  a  slope  of  3  horizontal  to  1  vertical ;  and  the 
inferior,  of  14  feet  in  width,  a  slope  of  2  horizontal  to  1  vertical.  The 
down-stream  slope  is  also  broken  into  two  faces — the  superior  one,  of  12 
feet  in  width, having  a  slope  of  6  horizontal  to  1  vertical;  and  the  inferior, 
of  12  feet  in  width,  a  slope  of  3  horizontal  to  1  vertical.  An  apron  of  15 
feet  in  width,  and  a  descent  in  that  distance  of  1  foot,  extends  from  the 
foot  of  this  last  slope,  outwards.  The  length  of  the  dam  proper  is  200.50 
feet,  its  extension  on  the  west  shore  4  feet,  and  on  Patroon's  upper  island 
180  feet— ^  making  the  whole  length  of  the  dam  380  50  feet. 

During  this  season  2,500  feet  of  dike  No.  2,  together  with  two  termi- 
nating slopes  of  40  feet  each,  and  a  lateral  dike  connecting  dike  No.  2 
with  Patroon's  upper  island,  were  finished.  From  the  north  end  of  this 
dike,  to  its  junction  with  the  lateral  dike,  the  slope  on  either  side  is  3  hori- 
zontal to  1  vertical  ;  greater  strength  being  required  here,  to  resist  the  ac- 
tion of  the  ice  forced  down  the  main  channel,  between  Cuyler's  island  and 
the  west  shore.  The  transverse  section  of  the  lateral  dike  is  the  same  as 
dam.  No.  1,  and,  like  ir,  is  puddled  throuiirhout.  This  puddling  extends 
50  feet  below  the  junction  on  the  main  dike.  The  remainder  of  the  dike 
is  similar  in  it» cross-section  to  the  Overslaugh  dikes — a  channel  slope  of 
3  to  1,  a  crest-width  of  10  feet,  and  an  in-shore  slope  of  2  to  1. 

The  dam  connecting  Patroon's  lower  island  with  the  west  shore,  its  ex- 
tension across  the  island,  and  158  feet  of  the  south  end  of  dike  No.  2,  con- 
nected with  the  dam,  and  forming  the  channel -facing  of  the  island,  were 
completed  this  year.    The  dam  and  50  feet  of  the  dike  were  puddled. 

The  whole  quantity  of  excavation  for  the  year  1839,  from  the  bed  of 
the  river,  on  this  section,  was  97,518.73  cubic  yards;  nearly  all  of  which 
entered  into  the  construction  of  the  dikes  and  dams. 

Dike  No.  2  of  the  Overslaugh  was  finished  in  this  year;  a  considerable 
portion  of  its  materials  having  been  taken,  during  the  early  part  of  the 
winter,  from  the  shore  of  the  river,  near  Van  Wie's  point,  in  order  to 
strengthen  the  work  against  the  spring  freshets. 

The  ice,  which  had  frozen  to  an  unusual  thickness,  broke  up  in  the 
spi  ing  of  this  year  with  great  violence,  after  two  successive  days  of  heavy 
rain.  During  this  flood,  the  river  rose  at  Albany  16.18  feet  above  ordi- 
nary low  water,  or  17.727  feet  above  the  lowest  water  observed  this  sea- 
son. In  speaking  of  the  effects  of  this  flood.  Captain  Brewerton  says: 
"  The  works  on  the  river  sustained  comparatively  little  or  no  damage. 
Dike  No  1  at  Port  Schuyler,  as  well  as  dike  No.  1  at  the  Overslaugh, 
remained  uninjured.  Dike  No.  2  at  the  latter  place  received  some  in- 
jury, from  the  unfinished  state  of  the  work;  the  embankment  of  a  portion 


12 


Doc.  No.  53. 


of  the  apron-,  and  such  parts  of  the  cre^t  as  were  not  permahontly  covered 
with  stones,  having  more  or  less  sand  washed  off.  Dike  No.  3  had  a  por- 
tion of  its  crest  depressed,  and  the  slopes  shghtly  injured.  Dams  Nos.  1 
and  2  received  but  very  nttle  damage. 

"The  occurrence  of  this  freshet  has  been  productive  of  one  good  result. 
It  has  given  confidence  in  the  permanence  of  the  works  constructed  for 
the  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson,  and  their  capabiHty  of 
resisting  a  freshet,  accompanied  (as  was  this)  by  heavy  masses  of  ice, 
moving  with  considerable  velocity." 

It  appears  from  the  annual  reports,  that  the  entire  amount  of  sand  and 
gravel  removed  from  the  upper  and  lower  Overslaughs  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  improvements,  was  354,392.62  cubic  yards.* 

It  was  found,  in  October  of  this  year,  that  the  least  depth  of  water,  at 
ordinary  low  stages,  on  the  Overslaugh  bars,  was  7  feet  3  inches;  the 
general  depth  being  10  feet  and  upwards.    During  the  whole  of  this  sea- 
son, steamboats  have  passed  the  once  formidable  Overslaugh  without  ex 
periencing  any  difficulties  or  detentions. 

Captain  Brewerton's  project  of  ope»"itions  for  the  ensuing  year  was  as 
follows : 

"O/z  the  2d  seciion,  ihe  construction  of  dam  No.  3,  connecting  Hill- 
house  island  with  the  west  shore;  Avhich,  although  not  estimated  for  by 
the  board  of  engineers,  is  necessary,  in  order  to  reduce  the  head  of  water 
at  dike  No.  1  at  Port  Schuyler,  which  would  otherwise  endanger  the  sta- 
bility of  that  work  after  the  closing  of  the  opening  in  the  dike.  The  re- 
moval of  100  feet  of  the  old  Fish-house  dam,  or  the  distance  it  projects 
into  the  channel  beyond  the  li'ie  of  dike  No.  2,  which  was  not  estimated 
for  by  the  board  of  engineers. 

the  3d  sectio//,  additional  security  is  proposed  to  be  given  *^o  dike 
No.  2  at  the  Overslaugh,  by  placing  6,000  tons  of  rubble-stones  along  its 
base,  extending  da  n  No.  1  across  Bogert's  island,  and  modifying  the  exten- 
sion of  dam  No.  2  across  Beacon  island.  Finally,  the  removal  of  Austin's 
rock  is  proposed,  which  is  not  estimated  for  in  the  report  of  the  board  of  en- 
gineers, but  may  be  necessary.  A  very  accurate  survey  of  this  rock  was 
nicule  the  past  winter.  It  was  found  to  contain  between  its  summit, 
which  is  about  I  foot  below  the  plane  of  ordinary  low  water,  and  a  plane 
taken  11  feet  below  that  level,  1,580  cubic  yards.  It  occupies  a  very 
dangerous  position  for  the  navigation  of  the  river,  being  situated  opposite 
the  tail  of  dike  No.  2  at  the  Overslaugh,  and  about  mid-channel.  Several 
vessels  have  been  seriously  injured  by  running  upon  this  rock,  the  sur- 
face of  which  is  rough  and  jagged. 

"No  work  is  contemplated  to  be  done  on  the  upper  section  the  coming 
year,  unless  circumstances  should  render  it  necessary. 

"A  recapitulation  of  the  works  proposed  to  be  constructed  on  the  mid- 
dle section  is  as  follows,  viz :  To  remove,  by  dredging,  50,000  cubic  yards 
of  the  heavy  deposite  from  Washington  and  Van  Buren  bars,  and  place 
the  same  behind  dike  No.  1  at  Port  Schuyler;  close  the  opening  in  this 
dike;  protect  the  channel-shore  of  650  running  feet  of  Hart's  island,  and 
630  feet  of  Hillhouse  island,  and  connect  this  island  by  a  dam  of  836  feet 
in  length;  remove  10,000  cubic  yards  of  the  heavy  deposite  from  Round 


*  Tliis  IS  exclusive  of  48,10^.20  cubic  yards  of  sand  removed  from  thr^e  different  portions 
of  ihe  river,  noi  betiefiiing  tlie  navigation,  and  used  in  the  construoiion  of  the  dikes  and  dams. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


13 


shoal;  complete  dike  No.  2,  running  between  upper  and  lower  Patroon's 
islands ;  and  excavate  104,690  cubic  yards  of  sand  and  gravel  from  Fisli- 
house  shoal,  for  forming  the  embankment  of  the  same  dike;  remove  100 
feet  of  the  old  dam  at  Fish-house  shoal,  or  the  distance  it  projects  bej'ond 
the  line  of  dike  No.  2.  On  the  lower  section,  it  is  proposed  to  strengthen 
the  base  of  dike  No.  2  at  the  Overslaugh  ;  contract  dike  No.  4,  running 
from  dike  No.  3,  near  the  railroad  depot  at  Albany,  to  Bogert's  island,  and 
excavate  102,000  cubic  yards  of  sand  and  gravel  from  Cuyler's  bar,  for  the 
embankment  of  this  work ;  extend  dam  No.  1  across  Bogert's  island,  to 
join  dike  No.  4;  modify  the  extension  of  dam  No.  2,  across  Beacon  island, 
and  contract  dam  No.  3,  closing  up  Papscannee  creek  ;  revet  the  channel 
shore  of  Beacon  island,  connecting  dikes  Nos.  1  and  2  at  the  Overslaugh; 
protect  3,000  running  feet  of  the  channel-shore  of  the  lower  part  of  Pap- 
scannee island  ;  take  up  800  running  feet  of  the  old  Overslaugh  dam,  150 
feet  of  Tan  Wie's,  and  700  feet  of  Winnie's  piers  ;  remove  Austin's  rock 
to  11  feet  below  the  plane  of  ordinary  low  water;  and  dredge  12,140  cubic 
yards  from  the  upper  and  lower  Overslaugh  bars,  for  the  embankment  of 
the  extension  of  dam  No.  1,  the  construction  of  dam  No.  3,  and  revetting 
Beacon  island." 

In  consequence  of  the  breaking  of  the  State  dam,  above  Troy,  in  the 
spring  of  1840,  a  good  deal  of  heavy  coarse  gravel  was  torn  up  from  the 
bed  of  the  river,  and  deposited  mainly  on  the  shoals  between  Troy  and 
Albany,  especially  on  the  Round  and  Fish-house  shoals,  and  below  Pat- 
roon's lower  island.  This  accumulation  has  been  partially  removed  by  a 
Government  dredge,  worked  at  the  expense  of  the  city  of  Troy.* 

In  January,  1841,  another  violent  ice-flood  occurred,  doing  a  good  deal 
of  injury  to  private  property.  The  public  works  escaped  uninjured.  In 
the  south  part  of  Albany  the  rise  was  about  4  inches  above  the  great  flood 
of  1839;  but  in  the  north  part,  it  was  not  quite  so  high  by  a  few  inches. 

In  1841,  the  corporation  of  Albany  expended  .$350  in  making  necessary 
repairs  on  the^works  below  the  city. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1842,  the  charge  of  this  improvement  was 
transferred  by  the  Executive  from  the  Engineer  Department  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Topographical  Engineers. 

No  appropriation  of  money  for  the  continuation  of  the  improvements 
having  been  made  since  1838,  all  operations  were  suspended  at  the  close 
of  the  year  1839,  with  the  exception  of  the  slight  repairs  before  mentioned. 
The  whole  amount  of  money  granted  by  Congress  for  this 

object  was         .....         -    $370,000  00 
Of  the  above  sum,  there  was  expended — 
On  the  1st  section,  (between  the  sloop-lock 

and  Troy)         ....       ^6,743  64 
On  the  2d  section,  (between  Troy  and  Al. 

bany)   130,234  60 

On  the  3d  section,  (between  Albany  and 

Van  Wie's  point)  .  -  .      230,313  54 

  367,291  78 

Leaving  a  balance  of        -  -  ...       $2,708  22 


*  During  this  year,  Captain  Brewerton  expended  for  the  corporation  of  Troy  the  sum  of 
Sl,451  53,  for  the  removal  of  obstructlpns  deposited  by  the  above-named  cause. 


14  Doc.  No.  53. 


which  has  since  been  expended  on  the  preservation  and  repair  of  the 

public  property  connected  with  the  improvement. 

Three  of  the  steam-dredges,  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation,  and  the 

machinery  of  another,  are  still  remaining  on  hand. 

The  sum  total  of  the  estimates  by  the  special  board  of  en- 
gineers for  the  improvement  of  the  Hudson  river  between 
VVaterford  and  New  Baltimore,  on  the  most  perfect  and 
expensive  plan,  was      .....    $819,634  10 

The  total  amount  expended,  as  above,  was  -  -      370,000  00 

Leaving  a  difference  unappropriated  (see  appendix  D)  of     $449,634  10 

For  this  sum,*  judiciously  and  economically  expended,  I  feel  quite 
confident  that  a  free,  easy,  and  unobstructed  navigation  may  be  obtained, 
at  all  times  when  the  river  is  not  closed  with  ice,  between  Troy  and  the 
€ity  of  New  York.  In  connexion  with  this  subject,  it  is  important  to 
observe,  that  if  Congress,  in  its  wisdom,  should  appropriate  further  grants 
of  money  to  continue  these  works  to  completion,  it  is  very  much  to  be 
desired  that  the  funds  should  be  rendered  available  at  as  early  a  period  in 
the  year  as  practicable,  and  in  sums  not  less  than  $100,000  per  annum. 

Captain  Brewerton's  estimate  for  the  year  1840  was  $200,000. 

Before  entering  upon  the  consideration  of  the  present  condition  of  the 
river,  and  of  the  public  works  erected  for  its  improvement,  and  of  the  in- 
fluences which  they  may  have  exerted  on  the  navigation,  it  is  important 
that  we  should  endeavor  to  ascertain  satisfactorily  the  general  principles 
on  which  such  structures  should  be  designed  and  executed.  To  do  so 
successfully,  it  is  essential  that  we  should  possess  very  exact  information 
in  relation  to  the  longitudinal  and  transverse  sections  of  the  river;  the 
slope  of  the  surface  of  the  water,  in  floods,  and  at  high  and  low  tides; 
and  the  direction  and  velocity  of  the  currents  corresponding  to  different 
stages  of  freshets  and  tides,  before  and  since  the  construction  of  the 
works.  Unfortunately,  many  of  these  important  facts  have  never  been 
(so  far  as  I  can  learn)  collected;  and,  in  their  absence,  we  must  be  guided 
by  the  best  information  we  can  procure. 

Particles  of  matter  in  motion  have,  owing  to  gravity,  and  the  resist- 
ances they  meet,  a  constant  tendency  to  a  state  of  rest,  and  the  motion 
ceases  when  the  force  of  impulsion  becomes  less  than  the  vis  inertia. 
The  force  acting  on  the  earthy  matter  of  a  river's  bed,  is  the  velocity  of 
the  current,  or,  rather,  the  momentum  of  the  water  flowing  over  it. 
Every  kind  of  soil  has  a  certain  velocity  consistent  with  the  stability  of 
its  channel;  and  experience  has  shown  that  a  velocity  of  water  equal  to 
three  inches  per  second  is  sufficient  to  remove  fine  clay ;  six  inches  per 
second,  fine  sand;  twelve  inches  per  second,  fine  gravel;  and  that  it  re- 
quires three  feet  per  second  to  sweep  along  angular  stones  of  the  size  of 
a  hen's  egg.  The  Abbe  Bossut  har.  shown,  that  where  the  velocity  is 
just  sufficient  to  raise  fine  sand,  a  ridge  advanced  about  twenty  feet  a  day; 
but  let  the  velocity  be  diminished,  either  by  an  expansion  of  the  water's 
surface,  or  by  a  decrease  of  the  fall,  below  the  rate  of  six  inches  per 


♦  To  this  must,  of  course,  be  added  whatever  may  be  necessary  to  repair  the  works  that  have 
sustained  injury,  and  to  replace  ihe  machinery  that  has  deieriora'e  l  in  consequence  of  the  long 
luspension  of  ihe  appropriations. 


Doc.  No  53. 


15 


second,  and  the  fine  sand  will  be  again  deposited  ;  and  so  on,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  other  classes  of  alluvion.  If,  then,  the  force  of  the  current 
(or  the  .vcvj?/r,  as  it  is  commonly  called,)  be  resorted  to,  the  given  force  re- 
quisite to  produce  a  certain  desired  effect,  must  be  continued  in  action 
until  the  earthy  matter  is  deposited  where  it  can  no  longer  injure  the 
navigation. 

"The  laws  of  nature  are  invariable,*  and  regulate  the  depth  and  width 
of  watercourses  by  the  resistance  which  the  shores  and  bottom  offer  to 
the  action  of  the  stream.  Where  the  shores  yield,  the  river  enlarges  in 
width,  and  becomes  shoal;  where  these  resist,  the  bottom  becomes  gouged 
out ;  and  where  both  shores  and  bottom  are  too  consistent  to  be  acted 
upon  by  the  stream,  the  velocity  of  the  current  must  be  increased,  or  the 
same  quantity  of  water  could  not  be  passed.  And  as  the  same  quantity 
of  water  must  generally  pass  in  equal  times,  a  section  of  a  river  must  be 
in  a  proportion  inverse  to  its  velocity ;  where,  therefore,  by  any  plan,  we 
can  reduce  any  of  the  dimensions  of  a  river,  other  dimensions  must  en- 
large, or  the  velocity  of  the  water  be  increased.  According  to  this  rea- 
soning, then,  if  the  width  at  these  sands  were  reduced,  the  velocity  of 
the  tides  would  be  increased,  until  so  much  of  the  bottom  which  now 
resists  its  action  were  removed;  and  the  increased  depth  lessening  the 
velocity,  this  last  is  again  restored  to  an  equilibrium  between  its  action 
and  the  bottom.  But  it  is  equally  evident,  that  this  would  only  be  a 
changing  of  the  position  of  the  sands,  as  the  parts  removed  would  be 
again  deposited  as  soon  as  the  water  passing^  the  narrowed  parts  should 
lose  the  velocity  which  previously  enabled  it  to  act  upon  the  bottom,  and 
to  sustain  the  material  of  which  it  was  composed.  The  only  effectual 
method,  therefore,  would  be  to  continue  the  constructions  for  reducing 
the  width  of  the  river,  and  increasing  its  velocity  down,  so  far  that  the 
removed  soil  should  be  delivered  over  to  a  current  as  rapid  as  that  em- 
ployed to  remove  it." 

It  is  the  velo^city  of  the  lower  filaments,  in  a  mass  of  moving  waters  in 
contact  with  the  bottom,  that  produces  the  changes  in  the  beds  of  streams, 
that  we  are  now  considering;  and  a  knowledge  of  that  velocity  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  the  formation  of  a  plan  having  for  its  object  the  im- 
provement of  a  river  navigation. 

It  was  Sir  Isaac  Newton  who  suggested  that  the  velocity  of  any  par- 
ticular filament,  or  string  of  corpuscules,  was  equal  to  the  arithmetical 
mean  of  any  two  filaments  adjoining;  but  the  Chevalier  Dii  Buat  was 
the  first  person  to  determine,  experimentally,  that  fact ;  and  the  ratio 
between  the  extreme  velocities — that  is,  the  velocity  of  the  filaments 
moving  on  the  axis  of  a  semi  cylindrical  inclined  channel,  and  of  those 
gliding  along  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  same  channel.  After  a  patient 
and  laborious  series  of  observations  on  the  velocities  of  an  almost  infinite 
number  and  variety  of  streams,  differing  in  size,  form,  slope,  and  velocity, 
he  succeeded  in  ascertaining  the  existence  of  certain  very  important  laws, 
which  are  thus  enumerated  by  Professor  Robison :  I.  In  small  velocities, 
the  velocity  at  the  axis  is,  to  that  at  the  bottom,  in  the  ratio  of  consider- 
able inequality.  2.  This  ratio  diminishes  as  the  velocity  increases,  and 
in  very  great  velocities  approaches  to  the  ratio  of  equality;  that  is,  as  I 


*  See  report  by  Lieui.  Colonel  (now  Colonel)  J.  J.  Abert,  on  Kennebec  river,  Document 
173,  isi  session  20ih  Congres.s. 


16 


Doc.  No.  53. 


understand  it,  when  the  mean  velocitij  increases.  3.  That  neither  the 
magnitude  of  the  channel,  nor  its  slope,  had  any  influence  in  changing 
this  proportion  while  the  mean  velocity  remained  the  same;  and  very 
little  difference  was  observed  whether  the  water  flowed  over  a  very 
rough  or  a  very  smooth  channel.  4.  If  the  velocity  in  the  axis  is  con- 
stant, the  velocity  at  the  bottom  is  also  constant,  and  is  not  aflfected  by 
the  depth  of  water  or  magnitude  of  the  stream. 

Another  important  law,  relating  to  the  phenomenon  of  running  waters, 
was  also  established  by  these  experiments,  viz :  that  the  mean  velocity 
in  any  pipe  or  open  stream,  is  the  arithmetical  mean  between  the  velo- 
city in  the  axis,  and  the  velocity  at  the  sides  of  a  pipe,  or  bottom  of  an 
open  stream.  If,  then,  we  have  obtained,  by  observation,  the  superficial 
velocity,  we  may  determine  the  bottom  and  mean  velocities*  by  the  fol- 
lowing simple  rule :  If  we  take  unity  from  the  square  root  of  the  super- 
ficial velocity,  expressed  in  inches,  the  square  of  the  remainder  is  the 
velocity  at  the  bottom ;  and  the  mean  velocity  is  the  half  sum  of  these 
two.  It  is  this  mean  velocity  which  becomes  important  in  determining 
the  train,  and  the  gauge  or  discharge  of  a  stream,  knowing  its  cross  sec- 
tion :  it  is  also  useful  in  ascertainmg  the  slope  by  the  formula  of  uniform 
motion,  having  given  the  expanded  border  and  the  mean  depth. 

As  I  have  desired,  in  planning  works  for  continuing  the  improvement 
of  the  Hudson  river,  to  consult  Nature  rather  than  man,  and  to  endeavor 
to  assist  her  in  her  operations,  it  became  important  to  determine,  with  as 
much  precision  as  possible,  the  directions  and  velocities  of  the  currents  at 
different  stages  of  freshets  and  tides,  and  at  different  sections ;  and  this 
object,  I  think,  I  have  attained  with  a  good  deal  of  success  ;t  but  it  is, 
nevertheless,  a  source  of  great  regret  that  I  have  had  no  opportunity  of 
experimenting  on  the  river  at  the  season  of  the  high  spring  freshets,  for 
the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  currents  and  velocities  in  the  various 
stages  of  the  growing  and  subsiding  flood,  and  the  slope  of  the  surface 
of  the  water,  (for  this  it  is,  after  all,  that  regulates  its  motion,^)  corres- 
ponding to  these  velocities.  The  slope  at  low  water  1  have  determined, 
but  it  is  quite  inconsiderable.    On  the  authority  of  Mr.  Randall,  the  high 

*  In  my  journal  will  be  found  a  table  of  "mean  and  bottom"  velocities,  corresponding  to 
surface  velocities,  from  1  inch  to  6'>  inches  per  second. 

t  The  following  plan  was  followed  in  ascertaining  the  rate  and  direction  of  the  currents.  A 
calm  day  was  selected,  and  two  observers,  with  theodolites,  were  employed  at  known  points  of 
triangulation.  A  boat  was  then  anchored  in  the  required  position,  and  a  flag  held  up  for  the 
observers,  who  established  its  position.  The  velocity  was  then  carefully  taken  by  means  of  a 
float;  this  float  was  of  a  hyperboloid  (orm.  (nearly  the  shape  and  size  of  an  ordinary  soda  water 
bottle,)  so  loaded  with  shot,  that  the  upper  knob,  or  top,  would  just  appear  above  the  surface  of 
the  water  when  the  float  was  immersed. 

To  ascertain  the  direction  of  the  current,  the  float  was  placed  in  the  river,  and  allowed  to 
drift  with  the  current,  the  boat  keeping  in  its  vicinity. 

When  any  considerable  change  of  direction  was  noticed,  the  boat  was  anchored  in  the  place 
occupied  by  the  float,  (which  was  taken  from  the  water  for  the  time  being;)  and  the  flag  being 
hoisted,  the  position  was  determined  as  before,  the  rate  of  velocity  observed,  and  the  same  oper- 
ation, as  above  described,  repeated  as  often  as  necessary.  In  this  manner,  the  currents  have 
been  ascertained  at  a  great  many  points  on  the  river,  and  they  have  been  often  traced,  as  the 
charts  will  show,  for  several  continuous  miles;  sometimes  several  lines  have  been  delineated 
in  the  same  seciinn,  at  various  stages  of  the  tides  and  Ireshets,  to  show  the  different  directions 
they  take  under  different  influences. 

t  This  fact  in  the  history  of  hydraulics  was  for  a  long  time  overlooked,  and  the  greatly  in- 
creased velocity  oflarge  rivers,  with  but  little  fall,  (like  the  Mississippi,)  as  they  approached  the 
sea,  was  accounted  for  by  Guglielmini  on  a  new  principle,  which  he  called  the  energy  of 
deep  waters" — an  explanation  which  was  generally  adopted  by  the  writers  of  the  age,  and  Butfon 
of  the  number.  Mr.  Brooks,  a  recent  English  writer  on  the  Improvement  of  Rivers,  seems  to 
have  adopted  the  same  theory. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


IT 


tides  at  Albany  and  New  Baltimore  have  been  assumed  to  be  on  the 
same  level.  He  gives  the  average  difference  of  tides — at  (Greenbush) 
Albany,  —  2.3  feet;  and  at  New  Baltimore,  (Schodack,)  =  3.7  feet.  These 
observations  agree  with  mine  precisely  at  Albany,  and  differ  from  mine 
at  New  Baltimore  only  the  1-100  of  1  f'Ot.  if,  then,  those  tvv^o  points  be 
on  the  same  level  at  high  tides,  the  difference  of  tides  must  be  the  aver- 
age fall  or  slope  of  the  river  at  low  water,  which  is  1.4  foot  in  a  distance 
of  about  14  miles.  From  Troy  to  Albany,  and  to  Van  Wie's  point,  the 
fall  was  determined  by  the  spirit-level.* 

Fluids  in  open  streams  are  influenced  in  some  respects  by  the  same 
general  laws  which  regulate  the  motion  of  small,  isolated,  ponderable 
bodies,  moving  down  pohshed  inclined  planes,  and  are,  in  consequence 
of  those  laws,  disposed  to  move  in  right  lines,  and  to  preserve  the  direc- 
tion given  to  them  by  the  controlling  force,  until  they  are  deflected  on 
some  other  course  by  counteracting  causes.  When  opposed  by  denser 
bodies,  fluids  press  laterally  in  the  direction  of  the  line  of  least  resist- 
ance. Like  ponderous  bodies,  they  have  also  a  continual  tendency  to  an 
accelerated  velocity  when  moving  down  inclined  planes  ;  but,  like  them 
also,  they  are  retarded,  and  often  move  uiuformly.  This  arises  from  an 
equilibrium  having  been  established  between  the  forces  which  impel 
their  descent,  and  those  which  oppose  it.  These  facts  constitute  the 
basis  of  Du  Buat's  fundamental  proposition — that  when  water  flows  uni- 
formly on  any  channel  or  bed,  the  accelerating  force  which  obliges  it  to 
move  is  equal  to  the  sum  of  all  the  resistances  which  it  meets  with, 
whether  arising  from  its  own  riscidity,  or  from  the  friction  of  its  bed. 
This  law  Robison  pronounces  to  be  the  key  to  all  hydraulic  science. 

Thus  the  water  of  a  river  confined  by  its  banks,  or  by  artificial  piers, 
flows  in  a  direct  course,  and,  under  certain  circumstances,  with  a  uniform 
velocity,  until  a  turn  of  the  banks  occurs,  when  a  corresponding  altera- 
tion takes  place  in  the  direction  of  the  current  also,  but  not  strictly  on 
the  principle  o/  a  resolution  of  forces.  If  the  change  be  towards  the 
left,  the  water  impmgeson  the  right  bank;  but,  instead  of  being  reflected 
towards  the  left  bank  on  an  angle  equal  to  the  angle  of  incidence,!  the 

*  Ai  extreme  \ow  water,  the  fall  from  Troy  lo  Balb,  opposite  the  north  eud  of  Albany,  is  2| 
feet  in  a  distance  of  5|  miles. 

The  bjard  of  engineers  say,  "Lieut.  Col.  Talcott  has  observed  that,  in  a  low  condition  of 
the  river,  the  dock  [wharf]  at  Watervliet  is  at  the  same  height  above  the  water  as  the  dock  at 
Albany;  while  the  waters  of  a  moderate  flood,  which  ju  t  reaches  the  (op  of  the  Watervliet 
dock,  are  two  feel  below  the  Albany  dock;  [Albany  pier  1]  Here  is,  therefore,  a  fall  of  24  inches 
in  5  miles,  for  this  flood;  or.  observing  ilie  sa-ne  i-lope,  a  fall  ol  26.4  inches  in  the  5k  miles 
from  Troy;  which,  added  lo  that  of  24  iiichesal  low  water,  gives  a  desct-ni  of50.4  inches  in  5i 
miles,  equal  to 9. 164  inches  per  mile."  The  board,  from  lhe>e  facts,  applied  to  the  section  of 
the  river  at  Albany,  in  an  8-feei  flood,  deduces  a  bottom  velocity  of  42  inches;  which  agrees 
pretty  nearly  with  the  result  of  my  experiments,  but  is  rather  greater.  The  board  calculates 
that  a  14-feet  flood  would  give  a  bottom  velocity,  in  the  same  section,  of  51  inches  per  second, 
"requiring  a  mixture  of  pebbles  lo  protect  even  the  coaisest  gravel." 

t  It  is  not  meant  that  no  portion  of  the  water  is  deflecied  toward  the  left  shore,  but  only  that 
the  whole  volume  is  not  reflected,  and  ihai  it  does  not  obey  strictly  ilie  laws  governing  the  re- 
flection of  solid  bodies.  I  know  that  thai  proposition  has  been  asserted  by  high  authority;  but 
lam  satisfied,  from  my  own  experiments  and  obbervaiions,  that  the  principles  developed  in  the 
text  are  consonant  with  the  true  raoticn  of  fluids. 

It  was  on  the  assumption  of  the  French  philosopher,  that  the  impact  of  water  obeys  the  same 
laws  as  the  impact  of  solid  bodies,  that  the  round,  lull  bow  has  been  given  to  many  ships,  in  the 
belief  that  it  was  best  adapted  to  meet  with  the  least  resistance  ;  but  it  hjs  been  sliown  by  Mr. 
Scott  Russel^  in  an  elaborate  report  (the  result  ol  experiments  carried  un  for  a  series  of  years) 
to  the  British  Association  for  ihe  Advancement  of  Science,  at  its  meeting  in  Cork,  for  1843, 
thai  this  assumption  is  wrong,  and  ihit,  instead  ot  the  full,  round  bow,  the  form  of  least  resisl- 
artceis  a  bow  slightly  coacave.   See  Civil  Engineers  and  Architects'  Journal,  Wo.  74,  p.  372. 


18 


Doc.  No.  53. 


volume  of  fluid  being  pressed  against  the  shore  while  the  filaments  of 
which  it  is  composed  are  moving  down  in  right  lines,  the  mass  changes 
its  form,  and  a  swell  takes  place  on  its  surface. 

In  other  words,  the  water,  when  it  is  thrown  on  a  concave  shore,  is 
slightly  higher  than  on  the  convex  shore,  (as  I  have  determined  by  ex- 
periment,) and  considerable  acceleration  of  velocity  takes  place;  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  the  deepest  water  is  always  found  (under  like  cir- 
cumstances) on  the  concave  side,  if  the  bottom  be  of  an  erosive  nature. 
If  not,  or  if  the  velocity  be  not  sufficient  to  remove  the  materials  of  the 
bed,  and  the  river  has  attained  its  regimen,  the  water  continues  to  flow 
with  this  increased  velocity;  and,  after  passing  the  extremity  of  the  con- 
cave curve,  will  be  thrown  towards  the  other  shore,  in  the  direction  it  last 
receives,  and  so  on;  being,  in  all  its  deflections,  subject  to  the  influences 
already  mentioned.  Hence  it  is,  that,  as  a  general  rule,  where  the  bed  is 
not  rocky,  the  deepest  water  is  found  on  the  concave  shores,  and  the 
shoals  are  formed  on  and  around  the  projecting  points.  After  a  river  has 
acquired  its  regimen,  this  heaping  up  of  the  water,  in  what  may  be  called 
its  ordinary  stages,  does  not  take  place,  except  so  far  as  it  may  be  influ- 
enced by  the  greater  velocity  around  the  concave  curve,  due  to  a  greater 
depth  of  water;  but,  in  floods,  the  phenomenon  above  indicated  again 
occurs. 

These  opinions,  I  am  aware,  may  be  supposed  to  conflict  with  the 
theory  of  M.  Du  Buat;  but  I  am,  notwithstanding,  satisfied,  after  a  good 
deal  of  close  observation  on  the  phenomena  of  running  waters,  that  my 
views,  as  above  expressed,  are  correct.*  After  all,  I  am  not  certain 
that  he  does  not  mean  rather  to  indicate  the  condition  that  would  insure 
stability,  than  to  describe  the  action  of  natural  streams. 

The  term  alluvion  is  applied  to  the  earthy  matter  transported  by  the. 
force  of  running  water;  but  a  more  philosophical  designation  for  the  detri- 
tus forming  islands,  shoals,  and  bars,  in  rivers,  would  be  Jluviatile  deposites. 

This  matter,  or  debris,  maybe  divided  into  four  classes:  1st, stones;  2d, 
coarse  gravel;  3d,  a  mixture  of  fine  gravel  and  coarse  sand;  and,  4th,  the 
light  earthy  particles,  whose  specific  gravity  but  little  exceeds  the  w^ater 
in  which  it  is  held  by  mechanical  suspension.  This  last  class  is  not  de- 
posited till  the  current  almost  entirely  subsides,  and  is  generally  hurried 
on  to  the  ocean,  or  dropped  at  the  mouths  of  rivers. 

The  first  of  the  above-named  classes  are  rarely  moved  by  the  mere 
force  of  the  current,  after  a  river  has  acquired  its  regimen ;  and  their  po- 
sition, when  changed,  is  usually  due  to  the  action  of  the  ice,  or  some 
other  like  disturbing  cause.f 

In  ordinary  cases,  the  2d  class  is  the  first  to  be  deposited;  and  this 
begins  to  take  place  whenever  the  fall  or  the  expansion  of  the  water  re- 
duces the  velocity  below  3  feet  per  second. 

The  3d  class  is  the  general  cause  of  obstruction  to  river  navigation^ 
resulting  from  the  want  of  sufficient  depth  of  channel.  The  first  depos- 
j  tes  are  almost  inevitably  formed  on  the  straight  or  expanded  reaches  of 

*  The  Albany  pier  and  the  Overslaugh  dikes  afford  conclusive  proof  (as  the  charts  will 
show)  of  the  truth  of  this  proposition,  both  as  it  regards  depth  of  water,  and  an  accelerated  ve- 
locity around  the  concave  shores.  A  reference  to  Randall's  chart,  (before  the  pier  was  erected,) 
and  the  more  recent  one,  will  serve  to  illustrate  this  effect  in  the  most  striking  and  satisfactory 
manner. 

t  It  will  be  seen  in  the  sequel,  that  the  accumulation  of  gravel  between  Troy  and  Albany 
was  caused  by  the  failure  ol  the  ^^State  iloop  lock  damp  above  Troy,  during  the  great  spring 
flood  ol  1840. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


19 


the  river,  (or  on  the  convex  side  of  the  curve,)  where  the  current  is 
slackened  ;  but  that  whicli  passes  the  first  place  of  deposite  cannot  be 
dropped  near  the  concave  shore  on  which  the  moving  mass  of  waters  im- 
pinges, because  (as  we  liave  before  shown)  a  swell  is  produced  there,  and 
the  current  increased;  while  on  the  convex  shore  there  is  a  diminution 
of  velocity,  and  there  such  earthy  matter  as  may  be  throv%rn  off  from  the 
main  current  will  be  dropped,  until,  at  last,  successive  deposites  form  a 
shoal,  which  gradually  emerges  from  the  water  in  ordinary  stages.  This 
process  will  be  continued,  from  point  to  point,  as  the  waters  sweep  across 
the  channels,  till  all  the  heavy  matter  has  been  disposed  of.  At  the  next 
flood,  the  same  operation  is  repeated;  till,  at  last,  the  extension  of  the  flats 
or  shoals  encroaches  upon  the  channels,  and  bars  are  formed;  but,  should 
a  succeeding  flood  rise  higher  than  the  one  from  whicli  the  alluvion  was 
deposited,  a  portion  of  the  recent  shoals  will  be  again  removed,  and 
dropped  at  some  other  point  lower  down. 

It  is  not  always,  however,  by  this  process,  that  obstructions  are  created, 
as  the  deposites  are  frequently  made  directly  in  the  channel;  and  this 
takes  place  when  the  water,  flowing  round  a  concave  shore,  is  thrown  ofl" 
in  the  direction  of  a  long,  straight  reach,*  where  the  expansion  of  the 
river's  surface  causes  a  diminution  of  velocity  below  that  which  is  neces- 
sary to  transport  the  alluvion.  This  induces  deposites,  which  continue 
till  the  cross  section  is  narrowed;  for  there  is  a  constant  tendency  mani- 
fested in  streams  to  produce  a  nearly  uniform  sectio^ral  area,  when  the  vol- 
ume of  water  and  the  slope  remain  unaltered — for,  in  nature,  "  everything 
aims  at  an  equilibrium;  and  this  directs  even  the  rambling  of  rivers." 
When,  by  successive  layers,  the  flats  have  risen  above  the  action  of  the 
water  at  ordinary  tides,  the  diminution  of  cross  section,  resulting  from 
their  influence,  causes  an  increase  of  velocity  again,  (under  certain  con- 
ditions of  the  tides,)  and  a  channel  is  partially  opened,  through  which 
the  heavier  particles  of  matter  (borne  by  the  greater  velocity  from  above) 
Avill  pass,  to  finil  another  place  of  deposite  lower  down.  Thus  it  is,  that 
rivers  seek  to  establish  a  regimen,  and  tend  to  open  channels  for  the  dis- 
charge of  their  waters:  this  tendency  we 'must  endeavor  to  assist. f 

*  la  many  reaches  which  are  apparently  straight^  the  cun  eoi  is  found  lo  rebounel  from  shore 
to  shore,  in  consequence  of  the  Avrong  set  of  its  initial  direction  on  entering  the  reach.  It  is 
important  that  the  engineer,  in  digesting  his  plans,  should  bear  this  in  mind,  in  order  that  the 
currents  should  be  deflected  as  seldom  as  possible  from  their  courses;  for  every  such  deflection, 
or  every  angle  of  incidence  which  the  currents  make  with  the  shores,  must  result  in  some 
injury  to  the  navigation.  This  state  of  things  formerly  existed  at  the  Overslaugh  bars,  as  the 
old  charts  prove. 

t  Nature  seems  clearly  to  have  pointed  out  the  proper  means  of  improving  the  upper  lidal 
waters  of  the  Hudson,  by  the  disposition  which  she  has  made  of  the  islands  in  this  section  of 
the  river.  A  reference  to  the  maps  will  show  that,  between  Troy  and  Albany,  all  the  islands 
are  situated  near  the  west  shore,  where  the  river's  surface  is  much  expanded;  and  ihatnaturally 
the  greater  volume  of  water  flows  between  them  and  the  east  shore,  which,  below  the  nail 
factory,  rises  from  the  water's  edge  abruptly  into  elevated  ground.  Below  Albany,  the  islands 
are  strung  along  in  almost  continuous  lines,  (disposed  like  artificial  piers  erected  for  the  ex- 
press purpose,)  near  both  shores,  from  which  they  are  separated  by  narrow  creeks;  while  much 
the  greater  portion  of  the  entire  volume  of  water  flows  between  these  ranges  of  islands,  (and 
never  around  them,)  as  if  confined  by  its  natural  bounds.  Many  of  these  islands  are  broad^ 
and  several  miles  long;  and  they  act  by  contracting  the  river's  surface  to  an  apparent  width  of 
less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  where  it  is,  in  fact,  nearlya  mile  in  width  between  its  banks.  All 
these  islands  are  composed  of  a  light  alluvion,  obviously  deposited  from  tne  river  floods;  and 
some  of  them  have  become  dry  and  arable  land,  within  the  memory  of  men  now  living.  If, 
then,  these  islands  Avere  removed,  and  the  water  which  now  flows  through  the  river  channel 
at  ordinary  stages  were  spread  over  the  whole  expanse,  there  would  scarcely  be  a  sufficient 
dep.h  of  water,  in  many  places,  to  float  even  the  smallest  cratt  that  plies  upon  the  river. 

It  only  remains  for  us.  then,  to  follow  out  the  plans  designed  by  Nature,  andio  avail  ourselves, 
as  far  as  practicable,  of  ihe  works  she  has  already  erected. 


20 


Doc.  No.  53. 


The  4th,  and  last  class  of  alluvion,  is  not  often  depositefl  in  channels; 
but  it  serves  to  increase  flats,  where  the  water  is  shallow,  and  the  current 
consequently  weak.  It  is  in  this  way  that  rivers  abounding  with  shoals 
and  low  islands  partially  purify  themselves,  by  getting  rid  of  the  lighter 
earthy  substance  which  their  waters  retain  in  suspension.  Amongst  the 
islands  and  flats,  the  water  is  almost  still;  and  when  this  is  the  case,  any 
matter  of  greater  specific  gravity  than  the  fluid  that  holds  it,  would  be 
naturally  deposited.  But  still,  the  greater  portion  of  this  matter  would  be 
carried  down  stream,  forming  those  shifting  mud-banks,  so  often  found 
in  bays  near  the  mouths  of  rivers. 

Having,  in  the  foregoing,  attempted  to  trace  the  process  by  which  ob- 
structions are  formed,*  and  to  eliminate  the  general  principles  which 
should,  in  my  opinion,  govern  in  designing  plans  for  the  improvement  of 
rivers;  let  us  now  examine  into  the  actual  present  condition  of  the  Hud- 
son river,  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  its  bed,  and  the  cause 
of  those  alterations  ;  and  then  proceed  to  the  practical  application  of  the 
principles  which  we  have  endeavored  to  develop. 

According  to  Mr.  Genet,  in  1819,  from  the  city  of  Troy  to  the  city  of 
Albany,  at  the  lov/-water  mark  of  last  summer,  taken  at  the  ferry  of  Al- 
bany, and  upon  which  the  soundings  have  been  uniformly  gauged,  there 
are  not  less  than  eight  shoals,  over  which  the  depth  of  water  averages 
from  3  to  4.5  feet. 

It  appears,  from  the  survey  in  1831,  by  Mr.  Clinton,  that,  to  obtain  a 
channel  9  feet  deep  at  low  water,  and  150  feet  wide,  excavation  would  be 
required  at  thirteen  places  between  Troy  and  Albany,  varying  from  1  to 
6  feet;  that  is,  that  in  thirteen  places  the  depth  of  water  varied  from  3  to 
8  feet. 

In  1819,  Mr.  Genet  says,  "  South  of  Albany,  as  far  as,  Castle^on,  the 
water  in  general  is  shallow,  and  over  five  extensive  bars,  varied  in  depth 
from  4.5  to  5.6  feet;"  and,  "that  between  Castleton  and  New  Balti- 
more, there  are  more  intervals  of  deep  water,  and  only  four  bars,  over 
Avhich  the  water  varies  from  4  to  7  feet.'' 

During  the  examinations  in  1831,  it  was  found  that  the  river  would  re- 
quire deepening  in  six  different  places  between  Albany  and  Castleton, 
from  1  foot  to  2.5  feet,  to  give  9  feet  water ;  and  that  between  this  latter 
town  and  New  Baltimore,  there  was  no  place,  in  the  deepest  part  of  the 
channel,  having  less  than  9  feet  water. 

Capt.  Brewerton's  chart,  exhibiting  the  condition  of  the  river  on  the 
30th  September,  1839,  shows  from  7  to  9  feet  water  on  the  Van  Buren 
bar,  beginning  near  Port  Schuyler,  and  extending,  with  slight  intervals 
of  deeper  water,  to  the  foot  of  Breaker's  island,  a  short  distance  below, 
another  narrow  bar  varying  in  depth  of  water  from  6  to  9  feet.  Covell's 
shoal  begins  about  the  middle  of  Hillhouse  island,  and  extends  to  the  old 

*  It  is  a  popular  doctrine,  that  the  cause  of  the  formation  of  bars  in  rivers  is  to  be  found  in 
the  action  of  the  flood-tides  checking  the  descending  currents;  and  that  the  alluvial  deposiles 
take  place  in  consequence  of  the  diminished  velocity  which  ensues.  That  much  earthy  matter 
is  precipitated  underthese  circumstances,  there  can  be  no  doubt; but  when  the  ebi)-tide  descends 
in  the  same  channel  through  which  the  flood  ascended,  it  must  necessarily  remove  ail  such 
deposites,  inasmuch  as  the  ebb  is  stronger  than  the  flood  by  the  accumulated  current,  (the  water 
flowing  from  above  the  tidal  influence,)  or  back  water,  caused  by  the  flood,  and  the  momentum 
due  to  its  motion  down  an  inclined  plane.  But  it  is  not  always  that  the  strength  of  the  tide  ebbs 
and  flows  through  the  same  channels;  and  when  this  is  the  case,  bars  will  be  formed.  But  to 
remove  these  bars,  it  will  only  be  necessary  to  give  the  ebb-tide  a  proper  direction,  which  can 
seldom  be  a  matter  of  much  difficulty. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


21 


State  dam,  immediately  below  dike  No.  2,  section  No.  2;  the  water  over 
it  being  from  6.5  feet  to  9  feet,  with  an  occasional  hole  of  10  feet  depth — 
the  general  average  being  about  8  feet.  A  short  distance  further  down 
begins  Hellogs^'s  shoal,  extending  nearly  to  Bath,  and  varying  from?  to  9 
feet,  but  being  generally  9  feet  deep.  Opposite  Bath  is  a  narrow  bar  of 
7  to  9  feet  water.  The  first  shallow  water  below  Albany  is  Cuyler's 
bar,  over  which  the  water  varied  from  7  to  9  feet.  The  next  was  the 
famous  Overslaugh,  beginning  near  the  head  of  Beacon  island,  and  termi- 
nating not  lar  above  Van  Wie's  point.  The  water  on  this  bar  varied  from 
S  to  9  teet,  the  shoalest  water  being  immediately  below  the  old  State 
jettie,  called  Van  Wie's  pier. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  we  have  no  means  of  instituting  a  rigid 
comparison  between  the  soundings  on  the  different  charts,  inasmuch  as 
they  have  no  common  plane  of  reference.  The  soundings  on  Randall's"^ 
and  Clinton-s  maps  were  reduced  to  the  extreme  low  loater  oi  ihe.  respect- 
ive years  in  which  they  w^ere  made,  and  it  is  probable  that  their  planes 
of  low  water  are  nearly  coincident.  On  Capt.  Brewerton's  maps  the 
soundings  were  reduced  to  the  plane  of  ordinary  low  water^  which  was 
assumed  at  9  feet  below  the  head  of  dike  No.  1  at  Port  Schuyler,  section 
No.  2;  at  S.S3  feet  below  head  of  dike  No.  2,  section  2;  and  at  8  feet 
below  head  of  dike  No.  1,  section  3.  The  soundings  on  his  map  of  the 
river,  down  to  the  head  of  Westeiio's  iskmd,  are  reduced  to  a  plane  about 
0.75  foot  above  the  low  water  observed  in  September  1839,  and  probably 
1  foot  above  the  extreme  low  water  of  that  year.  The  soundings  be- 
tween Albany  and  Van  Wie's  w^ere  referred  to  a  different  plane,  lower 
than  the  first  by  0.68  foot,  or  0.07  foot  above  the  low  water  of  September, 
1839,  or  about  0.32  foot  above  extreme  low  water. 

For  the  purpose  of  affording  a  ready  comparison  with  Capt.  Brewer- 
ton's  surveys,  I  adopted  the  same  plane  of  reference  with  his  maps  of  the 
river  between  Troy  and  Albany,  but  did  not  lower  the  plane  to  conform 
with  his  belo'*^  Albany;  so  that  0.68  foot  must  be  uniformly  deducted 
from  the  soundings  on  my  maps  below  Albany,  to  bring  them  to  the 
same  level  with  those  on  his  maps  of  the  river  between  Albany  and  Van 
Wie's  point;  and  1  foot  uniformly  subtracted  from  the  soundings  on  my 
charts  will  give,  very  nearly,  the  extreme  low-water  depth.  These  ele- 
ments will  afford  the  means  of  establishing  a  tolerably  accurate  standard 
of  comparison  between  the  different  surveys  referred  to  in  the  foregoing. 

The  special  board  of  engineers  say,  in  1834,  "  that  it  has  been  ascer- 
tained, from  recent  examinations,  that  the  shoals  and  bars  are  now  com- 
posed of  a  mixture  of  sand,  gravel,  and  pebbles,  above  Albany;  and  of 
sand,  below  Albany;"  and  it'was  stated  by  Mr.  Clinton,  in  1831,  "  that 
all  the  bars  above  Albany  are  gravel  and  other  heavy  soils,  while  all 
below  Albany  are  sand  and  other  lighter  deposites." 

Mr.  Genet  states  the  meanflow^and  fall  of  the  tides,  v%'hen  not  influ- 
enced by  freshets,  to  be,  at  Troy,  1  foot;  at  Albany,  2.3  feet;  and  at  New 
Baltimore,  3.6  feet.  According  to  Mr.  Clinton's  statement,  the  mean  was, 
at  Troy,  13.1  inches;  at  Albany,  25.1  inches;  at  Castleton,  30.6  inches;  and 
at  New  Baltimore,  34  indies.  My  register,t  the  last  summer,  gave  at  Wa- 

*  In  calculating  the  qaami'y  of  earth  to  be  removed  for  the  proposed  ship-canal,  Mr.  Ran- 
dall assumed  a  plane  of  extreme  low  water — a  level  3.3  feet  below  the  averajje  low  waier  of  his 
tables;  but  we  are  not  informed  if  his  soundings  were  reduced  oa  the  charts  lo  the  same  plane. 

t  See  tide-scales  on  charts,  and  register  of  tides  in  jonrnal. 


22 


Doc.  No.  53. 


tervliet,  (just  below  Troy,)  1.2  foot;  at  Albany,  2.3  feet;  ai  Castleton,  2.6 
feet;  and  at  Barren  island,  near  New  Baltimore,  3.69  feet.  I  have  seen  no 
results  of  observations  on  the  tides  between  those  of  1831  and  1843. 

Having  thus  briefly  adverted  to  the  different  conditions  of  the  river 
from  1819  to  1839,  let  us  now  enter  into  a  more  detailed  comparison  of 
the  changes  which  have  taken  place  up  to  the  year  1843. 

We  commenced  our  survey  at  the  lock  and  dam  above  Troy;  but  the 
state  of  the  river  was  such,  that  but  little  reliance  could  be  placed  on  the 
soundings  taken  above  the  Balston  railroad  bridge,  and  they  have  been 
accordingly  rejected.  I  understood,  however,  that  the  channel  near  the 
foot  of  the  lock  had  been  a  good  deal  obstructed  with  gravel  washed  in 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  dam  by  the  floods.  It  is  proposed  to  remove 
this  gravel,  and  to  construct  a  low  dam,  2,230  feet  long,  from  the  tail -bay 
of  the  lock  to  the  head  of  Hay  island,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the 
future  accumulation  of  gravel  in  the  channel. 

From  a  point  opposite  the  lower  mouth  of  the  Mohawk,  down  to 
Washington  bar,  the  water  is  deep.  This  bar  lies  ofl"  the  head  of  dike 
No.  1,  at  Port  Schuyler.  In  1819,  this  bar  was  2,000  feet  long,  with  a 
depth  of  water  varying  from  4.5  to  9  feet;  in  1839,  it  was  1,500  feet  long, 
the  depth  varying  from  7  to  9  feet;  in  1843,  it  was  ascertained  that  this 
bar  was  reduced  to  1,000  feet  in  length,  with  not  less  than  8  feet  water, 
and  ordinarily  not  less  than  9  feet  at  ordinary  low  tide.  TJiis  improve- 
ment may  be  obviously  attributed  to  the  construction  of  the  dike.  A 
little  dredging  may  be  necessary  here,  to  remove  lumps,  and  to  straighten 
and  widen  the  channel,  when  I  cannot  doubt  it  will  be  kept  open  by  its 
own  action.  My  opinion  is,  that  if  the  cut  in  the  dike  (for  which  there 
seems  to  be  no  necessity)  were  closed,  the  channel  would  deepen  and 
straighten  without  further  assistance. 

Van  Bur  en  bar — nearly  opposite  the  head  of  Hillhouse  island.  In 
1819,  it  was  over  4,000  feet  long,  varying  in  depth  from  4  to  9  feet,  aver- 
aging about  5  feet.  In  1831,  about  the  same  length,  depth  varying  from 
5  to  9  feet,  and  averaging  about  6  feet.  In  1839,  the  bar  was  about  the 
same  length,  vaiying  in  depth  from  7  to  9  feet,  averaging  about  7J  feet. 
In  1843,  this  bar  had  almost  entirely  disappeared,  there  being  seldom 
less  than  8  feet  at  any  point,  and  ordinarily  about  9  feet;  and  it  is  reason- 
able to  suppose,  judging  from  the  past,  that  the  natural  action  of  the  river 
will  soon  open  it  to  not  less  than  9  feet  at  low  water. 

Dike  No.  1,  section  No.  2,  is  4,600  feet  long,  or  about  1  mile,  including 
the  revetment  of  Breaker's  island;  and  8.83  feet  above  ordinary  low  tide. 
It  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  excepting  a  small  portion  of  the 
revetment  of  the  island,  which  needs  repairing.  I  would  also  strongly 
recommend  the  closing  of  the  cut  in  the  dike,  or  the  construction  of  the 
projected  dam  from  Hillhouse  island  to  the  west  shore. 

In  1819,  there  was  no  part  of  the  river,  from  the  foot  of  Breaker's 
island  to  Greenbush,  having  9  feet  water,  with  the  exception  of  one  deep 
hole.  On  Covell's  shoal,  opposite  to  Hillhouse  island,  there  was  but  4.7 
feet  water.  In  1831,  about  the  same.  In  1839,  from  Breaker's  island  to 
the  "old  Fish -house  pier,"  below  dike  No.  2,  section  No.  2,  the  water 
varied  generally,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  deep  holes,  from  6  to  8,  and 
sometimes  9  feet  water.  This  includes  Covell's  shoal,  on  which  there 
was  6  feet  water.  In  1843,  there  was  not  less  than  1\  feet  water  on  those 
shoals,  and  generally  not  less  than  9  feet;  there  being  in  a  few  places  8 


Doc.  No.  53. 


23 


feet  water  down  to  the  pier  aforesaid.  It  is  necessary  on  this  section  to 
remove  the  lumps,  and  to  straighten  the  channel,  as  no  vessel  can  avail 
itself  of  the  full  depth  of  water  in  the  channel;  so  that,  practically,  there  is 
not  more  than  6  feet  water  at  extreme  low  tide.  These  important  changes 
can  be  traced  to  no  other  cause  than  to  the  erection  of  the  public  works, 
incomplete  as  they  are;  and  it  will  be  observed,  that  while  dike  No.  1 
has  greatly  ameliorated  the  condition  of  the  river  over  the  Washington 
and  Van  Buren  shoals,  it  has  not  affected  the  rivef  injuriously  lower 
down,  but  has,  probably,  on  the  contrary,  contributed  to  its  improve- 
ment. 

Dike  No.  2  runs  along,  and  is  connected  with,  the  face  of  Patroon's 
island.  It  begins  about  700  feet  below  the  foot  of  Hank's  island,  (with 
which  it  should  be  connected,)  and  terminates  about  the  same  distance 
below  the  foot  of  Patroon's  island;  it  is  3,500  feet  long,  and  8.83  feet 
above  low  water.  Capt.  Brewerton  recommended  that  it  should  be  con- 
nected with  Hank's  island,  (the  lower  portion  of  which  has  been  revetted,) 
and  extended  down  stream  to  Patroon's  lower  island,  with  a  cut  about 
the  middle  of  its  length.  If  this  suggestion  should  be  carried  into  exe- 
cution, it  would  make  the  entire  length  of  the  dike  about  9.500  feet.  He 
also  proposed,  for  ultimate  operations,  connecting  the  east  shore  of  the 
river,  (beginning  at  a  point  opposite  the  foot  of  Hillhouse  island,)  with 
the  head  of  Base  island,  and  extending  2,300  feet  below  it.  The  whole 
length  of  this  dike  would  be  about  G,000  feet.  There  is  an  old  State 
jettie,  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition,  running  out  from  the  east  shore, 
about  250  feet  above  the  head  of  Base  island,  and  projecting  about  the 
same  distance  beyond  it.  I  cannot  think  all  the  works  which  have  been 
recommended  for  this  locality  necessary,  although  they  may  be  found  to 
be  so  in  the  end.  I  would  connect  dike  No.  2  with  Hank's  island, 
extend  it  down  stream  (on  the  line  of  Capt.  Brewerton's  projection)  850 
feet  to  the  "  old  Fish-house  pier,"  at  the  same  time  removing  that  portion 
of  the  pier  which  juts  beyond  that  line;  continue  the  dike  about  2,000 
feet  further,  on'a  curve  gently  inclining  towards  the  foot  of  Mud  island, 
for  the  purpose  of  directing  the  alluvion  which  may  be  brought  down 
the  river,  into  the  bay  formed  by  the  dam  connecting  Patroon's  lower 
island  with  the  main  shore;  complete  the  revetment  of  the  face  of  Pa- 
troon's lower  island;  repair  the  jettie  on  the  east  shore,  cutting  off  the 
portion  which  projects  beyond  Base  island;  connect  the  pier  with  the 
island,  and  revet  the  face  of  the  island.  This,  I  think,  will  be  suflicient 
to  insure  a  navigation,  on  this  reach,  of  not  less  than  9  feet  water  at  the 
lowest  tides. 

In  1819,  between  the  "old  Fish -house  pier"  and  the  Bath  ferry,  there  was 
at  no  place  over  8.5  feet  water,  and  generally  not  over  5  feet.  On  "Hellogg's 
shoal"  there  was  but  3.5  feet.  In  1831,  the  condition  of  this  portion  of  the 
river  was  not  much  changed.  In  1839,  it  varied  from  T  to  9  feet,  being 
generally  about  8  feet.  In  1843,  it  was  about  the  same  down  to  the  head 
of  Patrocn's  lower  island;  from  whence  to  Bath  it  was  from  10  to  12  feet 
deep,  being  10  feet  in  the  "  ordinary  channel.''  This  latter  efiect  must 
be  referred  to  the  influence  of  the  dam  behind  Patroon's  lower  island, 
and  the  short  revetment  on  the  face  of  that  island.  The  island  is,  how- 
ever, fast  wearing  av/ay,  and  demands  immediate  attention. 

I  have  projected,  on  the  map  accompanying  this  report,  the  works  sug- 
gested by  Capt.  Brewerton  for  the  improvement  at  Bath  and  the  upper 


24 


Doc.  No.  53. 


end  of  Aityany.  On  this  subject  Capt.  Brewerton  says,  a  letter  to  the 
president  of  the  Pier  Company,  dated  January  7,  1839,  "  The  dike  con- 
templated to  run  from  the  southern  extremity  of  lower  Patroon's  island, 
and  that  connecting  Bath  with  the  head  of  Van  Rensselaer's  island,  are 
so  drawn  as  to  give  as  nearly  a  uniform  width  to  the  channel  as  the  rela- 
tive positions  of  those  islands  with  the  adjacent  shores  will  permit.  In 
order  to  maintain  the  same  width  of  channel  and  depth  of  water  oppo- 
site the  pier,  it  will  be  necessary  to  contract  the  river  by  carrying  the  pier 
out  towards  the  channel,  viz  :  284  feet  at  its  northern  extremity;  40  feet 
at  a  point  nearly  midway  of  its  length;  and  140  feet  at  its  lower  termina- 
tion, or  at  such  distance  that  the  last  line,  when  produced,  may  be  tan- 
gent to  the  wharf  just  below  the  foot  of  Lydius  street. 

'*lt  would  be  desirable  that  the  owners  of  property  above  the  pier  should 
extend  their  wharf  into  the  river,  on  a  line  with  the  dike  running  from 
the  southern  extremity  of  lower  Patroon's  island.  The  latter  work,  in 
connexion  with  the  dam  intended  to  unite  this  island  Avith  the  west 
shore,  will  form  a  basin,  which  may  prove  equally  safe  with  the  Albany 
basin,  and  of  much  greater  capacity  for  the  accommodation  of  vessels  of 
every  description. 

"This  modification  of  the  pier  will  not  only  be  an  essential  auxiliary  in 
the  improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  river,  but  will  also  subserve 
other  objects  connected  Avith  it." 

In  1819,  from  Bath  ferry  to  a  point  corresponding  to  the  lower  end  ot 
the  Albany  pier,  the  greatest  depth  of  water  varied  from  5  to  8  feet,  being 
usually  about  6  feet.  There  were  at  that  time  several  shoals  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  river,  not  far  from  the  present  railroad-ferry  cut,  bare  at  low 
water. 

In  1826,  the  Albany  pier  was  built.  In  1831,  the  water  along  ihe  face 
of  the  pier  varied  from  10  to  18  feet.  In  1839,  the  same  average  depth  of 
water  was  noticed.  In  1843,  the  channel  was  rather  deeper  and  wider, 
especially  on  the  railroad  ferry  line  :  this  increase  is  ov/ing  to  the  erection 
of  a  high  stone  wharf  on  Van  Rensselaer's  island,  by  the  railroad  com- 
pany, which  has  narrowed  the  river's  surface,  opposite  the  cut  in  the  pier, 
about  200  feet. 

The  shoalest  water  is  on  the  east  shore;  the  deepest,  near  the  face  of 
the  pier;  and  the  mean  velocity  about  the  middle  of  the  river. 

An  examination  of  the  different  charts  of  this  portion  of  the  river  will 
most  forcibly  illustrate  the  good  effects  produced  on  the  bed  of  the  river 
by  the  construction  of  the  Albany  pier.  It  would  seem,  from  the  above 
facts,  that  the  river  opposite  Albany  has  attained  its  regimen.  From  the 
foot  of  the  Albany  pier  to  Cuyler's  bar  is  deep  water,  varying  from  10  to 
20  feet.  There  is  here  very  little  perceptible  difference  in  the  channel 
depth,  since  1819;  but  it  seems,  on  the  whole,  to  be  rather  deeper,  while 
the  width  from  the  foot  of  the  pier  to  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  railroad 
depot  has  greatly  increased. 

The  narrowest  part  of  the  Hudson,  below  the  railroad  bridge,  is  at  the 
lower  end  of  Troy,  where  it  is  but  640  feet  wide;  the  next  narrowest  point 
is  atGreenbush,  where  it  is  730  feet  wide. 

A  short  distance  below  Greenbush  is  Cuylefs  bar.  In  1819,  the  water 
on  this  bar  varied  from  4  to  9  feet,  averaging  about  6  feet.  In  1839,  the 
distance  between  the  9- feet  curves  was  2,200  feet,  the  water  between 
those  curves  being  at  no  tim.e  less  than  7  feet.    In  1843^  the  shoal  was 


Doc.  No.  53. 


25 


nearly  3,000  feet  long,  the  least  water  being  about  6  feet.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  the  shoal  has  increased  a  good  deal  since  J  839.  The  cause  of 
this  increase  must  be  looked  for  in  the  contraction  of  the  river  by  the 
railroad  depot  on  Van  Rensselaer's  island,  opposite  Albany;  and  to  the 
deposite  of  considerable  quantities  of  mud  in  the  chc^nnel,  by  the  con- 
tractors for  excavating  the  basin  at  Albany.  It  will  be  observed,  by  com- 
paring the  charts,  that,  although  the  "  ordinary  channel,"  above  the 
Hudson  and  Mohawk  railroad  freight  depot,  has  been  but  little  deepened 
since  1831,  it  has  been  very  much  widened  since  1839,  (the  railroad  wharf 
having  been  built  in  1842;)  and  that  an  immense  quantity  of  mud  has 
been  removed  from  the  bed  of  the  river  in  the  mean  time.  This  is  partic- 
ularly obvious  on  a  line  drawn  from  the  south  end  of  Gibbon's  wharf  to 
the  west  landing-place  of  the  Greenbush  ferry,  along  the  line  of  wharfage 
below  the  ferry,  and  at  the  ferry  wharf  in  Greenbush,  where  it  will  be 
noticed  that  the  water  has  been  increased  from  11  to  27  feet.  Nearly  all 
the  heavier  materials  which  have  been  removed  from  this  section  of  the 
river,  have  been  naturally  deposited  in  the  wide  expanse  of  the  river  below 
the  city;  while  the  lighter  substances  have  been  carried  still  further 
down— a  portion  of  them,  probably,  having  been  dropped  on  the  Castleton 
bar. 

The  board  of  engineers  suggested,  for  the  removal  of  Cuyler's  bar, 
the  construction  of  a  dam  200  feet  long,  to  connect  Small  and  VVesterlo's 
islands,  and  a  dike  1,700  feet  long  in  front  of  "Small  island,"  to  turn  the 
water  eastward. 

Capt.  Brewerton  recommended  the  short  dam,  as  above,  and  the  exten- 
sion of  the  dike  (in  front  of  Small  island)  down  to  Bogert's  island,  leav- 
ing an  opening  in  the  dike  250  feet  wide,  about  1 ,200  feet  above  the  head 
of  that  island — making  its  entire  length,  including  the  revetment  of  a 
portion  of  the  island,  about  6,800  feet;  and  a  dike  on  the  east  shore  4,000 
feet  long,  running  from  the  lower  end  of  Greenbush  to  Duow's  point,  op- 
posite the  head  o|  Bogert's  island. 

I  am  inchned  to  believe  that  the  west  dike,  or  a  considerable  portion  of 
it,  may  be  dispensed  with;  and  that  the  eastern  dike,  combined  with  ju- 
dicious dredging,  may  answer  the  purpose. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  quite  certain  that  much  the  greater  volume  of 
water,  in  floods,  impinges  on  the  east  or  concave  shore,  as  is  manifested 
by  its  destructive  abrasion  of  the  bank;  the  eflbrts  of  the  land  proprietors 
to  stay  its  encroachments;  and  the  increased  velocity  at  the  foot  of  the 
curve,  as  determined  by  experiments.  The  reason,  then,  which  induced 
the  special  board  to  recommend  the  building  of  the  west  dike,  does  not 
exist  at  this  time. 

For  a  correct  understanding  of  my  views  on  this  subject,  a  reference  to 
the  charts  is  essential,  and  particularly  to  the  difl:erent  lines  of  currents 
and  velocities. 

I  would  recommend  the  construction  of  the  east  dike,  but  not  precisely 
on  aright  line,  but  rather  so  that  its  trace  should  measurably  conform  to 
the  outhne  of  the  shore;  that  is  to  say,  I  would  have  it  built  on  a  slight 
concave"^  curve,  throwing  off  the  water  from  Duow's  point,  on  the  line  of 

*  The  superiority,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  of  a  single  concave  dike,  to  parallel  recti- 
linear dikes,  is  very  clearly  proven  by  Mr.  Brooks,  in  his  short  treatise  on  the  Improvement  of 
Rivers,  in  chapter  ix.,  from  page  114  to  119,  inclusive.  He  says,  "ihose  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  laws  which  govern  the  motions  of  water  will  see  nothing  startling  or  objeciionable  in 
the  proposition  to  substitute  the  plan  of  concave  shores  ox  piers,  described  with  very  large  radii, 
for  the  rectilinear  ones  now  generally  constructed,"  &c. 


26 


Doc.  No.  53. 


the  present  channel,  towards  the  Overslaugh  dike.  I  would  then  ascertain, 
with  as  much  precision  as  practicable,  the  natural  course  of  the  filament 
of  greatest  velocity  at  a  time  when  the  flood  had  nearly  reached  the  top 
of  the  dike;  and  on  that  course  I  would  open  a  new  channel,  by  dredg- 
ing* to  the  requisite  depth,  in  the  firm  belief  that  it  would  remain  open. 
As  nearly  as  we  can  now  indicate,  the  line  a  6,  marked  on  the  map  with 
red  arrows^  would  satisfy  the  condition  of  the  problem. 

I  would  scarcely  ever  venture  to  recommend  dredging  as  a  primary 
means  of  improvement ;  but  it  is  often  useful  as  an  auxiliary,  and  would 
sometimes  be  sufficient  of  itself  When  resorted  to,  its  action  is  usually 
confined  to  the  low-water  channel,  across  which,  probably,  the  flood  flows 
at  a  considerable  angle.  When  this  is  the  case,  the  detritus  rolled  along 
the  bottom  is  deposited  in  the  "  dug  way,"  almost  as  a  matter  of  course  ; 
but  when  the  new  channel  has  been  opened  on  a  straight  line,  nearly  co- 
incident with  the  axis  of  the  flood,  this  cannot  well  take  place.  For 
when  a  river  has  once  attained  its  regimen,  it  very  seldom  happens  that 
heavy  substances  are  abraded  from  its  bed;  and  although  the  natural  flow 
of  the  ordinary  tides  or  slight  freshets  may  cross  the  new  channel 
obliquely,  and  deposite  in  it  a  small  amount  of  light  alluvion,  the  next 
flood  would  be  certain  to  clear  it  out.  If,  then,  besides  this,  we  have  a 
dike  to  control  the  direction  of  the  current,  I  think  we  may  confidently 
predict  a  successful  result.  If,  however,  this  should  not  be-  found  suffi- 
cient for  the  purpose,  the  west  dike  might  be  built,  extending  down 
stream  from  the  head  of  "  Small  island"  about  2,000  feet,  and  its  southern 
termmation  curving  gradually  towards  the  western  shore,  below  the  foot 
of  Small  island.  If  continued  down  to  Bogert's  island,  I  should  appre- 
hend that  a  large  and  unnecessary  amount  of  fluviatile  deposite  might 
be  disturbed,  and  again  dropped  into  the  channel,  at  some  other  place. 
By  the  arrangement  above  described,  much  of  the  earthy  matter  removed 
by  the  action  of  the  increased  velocity,  would  be  disposed  of  between  the 
western  shore,  Bogert's  island,  and  the  transverse  dam. 

It  has  also  been  proposed  to  extend  the  east  dike,  from  Duow's  point  to 
Papscannee  island ;  but  as  there  is  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  all 
practical  purposes  along  Bogert's  island,  I  should  consider  this  work  as 
unnecessary — at  least  for  the  present.  Bogert's  island  should  be,  how- 
ever, revetted  along  its  entire  face. 

Formerly  the  "  upper"  and  lower  Overslaugh"  bars  were  regarded 
as  the  most  formidable  obstructions  on  the  river;  but,  at  present,  they  may 
be  said  no  longer  to  exist,  having  been  almost  entirely  removed  by  the 
public  works.  In  1819,  the  "  upper  Overslaugh"  commenced  at  a  point 
opposite  the  head  of  Bogert's  island,  and  extended  down  to  its  foot;  the 
water  over  it  varying  from  5  to  8  feet.  The  lower  bar  commenced  oppo- 
site the  head  of  Van  Rensselaer's  island,  and  extended  down  nearly  to 
Austin's  rock,  with  about  the  same  depth  of  water  as  the  upper  bar.  The 
channel  through  the  lower  Overslaugh"  was  reflected  from  the  head  of 
the  aforesaid  island  to  the  east  shore,  from  whence  it  was  reflected  back 
again  by  means  of  Van  Wie's  pier.  This  portion  of  the  river  has  been 
injuriously  aflected,  from  time  to  time,  by  ice  floods.  It  is  said,  in  a  re- 
port dated  31st  March,  1818,  from  the  State  commissioners  for  improving 


*  This  question  is  more  fully  discussed  in  speaking  of  the  plau  for  removing  the  "  Casileton 
overslaugh," 


Doc.  No.  53. 


27 


the  Hudson,  to  the  Governor  of  New  York,  "  that  the  channel  formed  in 
the  river  at  the  '  upper  Overslaugh'  has  received  material  injury  from 
the  damming  of  the  ice,  and  the  consequent  accumulation  of  sand  and 
gravel  at  that  place,  during  the  late  breaking  up  of  the  river.  It  ap- 
pears, from  actual  soundings,  that  there  is  about  3  feet  less  water  than 
during  the  last  season;  and  the  jettie,  or  dam,  seems  also  to  have  sus- 
tained some  injury."  Between  1819  and  1831,  there  appears  to  have 
been  but  little  change  on  this  bar,  except  that  the  channel  flowed 
along  Van  Rensselaer's  island,  instead  of  being  reflected,  as  formerly, 
towards  Papscannee  island.  In  March,  1837,  the  deepest  water  opposite 
the  head  of  dike  No.  1,  section  No.  3,  was  8  feet;  and  near  the  head  of 
Beacon  island,  it  was  6  feet.  In  1838,  the  water  at  the  head  of  dike  No. 
1  was  about  8  feet,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  very  short  distance, 
(where  the  water  was  7  feet,)  it  was  not  less  than  8  feet,  and  generally 
over  10  feet,  down  to  Beacon  island;  and,  indeed,  the  remark  holds  good 
all  the  way  down  to  the  foot  of  the  dike,  terminating  in  deep  water.  In 
1839,  the  channel  at  the  head  of  the  dike  had  not  deepened;  but,  as  far 
down  as  the  head  of  Beagon  island,  there  had  been  a  decided  improve- 
ment, the  water  being  not  less  than  from  9  to  10  feet.  From  -the  head  of 
Beacon  island  to  the  commencement  of  dike  2,  section  3,  the  channel 
varied  from  8.7  to  10  feet,  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow  ridge,  where  it 
was  7  feet;  and  from  the  head  of  dike  2  to  its  termination,  near  Austin's 
rock,  there  was  not  less  than  8  feet  water,  with  the  exception  of  a  very 
narrow  bar,  where  it  was  7.5  feet.  In  1843,  there  was  found  to  have 
been  no  alteration  in  the  shoal  at  the  head  of  dike  No.  1;  but,  from  the 
beginning  of  that  dike  to  the  foot  of  dike  No.  2,  there  had  been  a  most 
obvious  improvement,  there  being  nowhere  less  than  10  feet  of  water, 
and  generally  much  more. 

It  is  proper  to  observe,  that,  generally,  in  speaking  of  the  depth  of 
water,  I  mean  the  depth  on  the  "  line  of  deepest  Vjater^^  as  laid  down  on 
the  chart,  and  n^t  on  the  "  ordinary  channel,"  unless  it  be  expressly 
named.  It  often  happens,  that,  owing  to  the  narrowness  or  crookedness 
of  the  "  line  of  deepest  water,"  vessels  cannot  avail  themselves  of  its 
depth,  and  are  forced  to  confine  themselves  to  the  line  designated  as 
ike  ordinary  channel^'^  of  much  less  water.  Wherever  this  is  the  case, 
the  '•^  ordinary  channel"  should  be  deepened,  or  a  new  one  opened,  on 
the  principles  laid  down  in  a  preceding  paragraph. 

The  upper  Overslaugh  dike  (dike  No.  1,  section  No.  3)  begins  near 
the  foot  of  Bogert's  island,  and  terminates  a  short  distance  beyond  the 
head  of  Beacon  island.  It  is  4,324  feet  long,  and  its  crest  8  feet  above 
the  plane  of  reference.  About  1,300  feet  above  the  foot  of  the  dike,  there 
is  a  cut  250  feet  wide,  calculated  for  a  velocity  of  one  mile  per  hour, 
having  for  its  object  the  relief  of  the  works  from  the  pressure  of  the 
floods  in  the  channel,  before  the  waters  have  reached  the  some  level 
behind  the  dike.  Capt.  Brewerton  says  that  "  the  head  of  water  at  the 
dam,  produced  by  the  early  spring  freshets,  was  ?>\  feet;  the  distance  the 
water  had  to  pass  downwards  in  the  channel -way," after  leaving  the  dam, 
until  it  could  flow  backwards  in  the  basin,  to  the  same  point,  was  10,000 
feet."  This  fact,  he  thinks,  shows  that,  at  a  partial  stage  of  the  flood, 
there  would  result  a  fall  of  more  than  10  inches  per  mile.  Hence  the 
necessity  of  leaving  openings  in  long  dikes,  to  produce,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, an  equilibrium  of  pressure,  or  an  equality  of  level,  before  and  be- 


28 


Doc.  No.  53. 


hind  the  dikes.  In  consequence  of  the  failure  of  the  dam  connecting 
Beacon  island  with  the  west  shore,  the  velocity  through  the  cut  is  much 
greater  than  was  anticipated,  and  its  influence  on  the  bed  of  the  river  is 
most  pernicious.  Owing  to  the  height  and  length  of  the  dike,  (the  whole 
length,  including  the  revetment  of  the  islands,  being  12,.500  feet,)  this 
cut  is  probably  essential  to  the  stability  of  the  work;  but  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  the  broken  dam  should  be  at  once  rebuilt.  The  dike  is  in  a 
very  good  state  of  preservation,  and  is  becoming  more  and  more  secure, 
from  year  to  year,  from  the  accumulation  of  sand  around  it,  and  the 
growth  of  trees  on  its  crest  and  face.  It  must  be  admitted  that  it  has 
not  produced  all  the  effect  on  the  ^' upper  Overslaugh"  that  might  have 
been  anticipated  from  it.  If  the  head  of  this  dike  had  been  thrown  out 
about  250  feet  farther  east,  and  had  been  extended  up  stream,  to  the  end 
of  the  dam  running  across  Bogert's  island  to  the  west  shore,  t  think  it 
would  have  answered  a  better  purpose.  It  may  be  that  the  materials  of 
this  shoal  are  too  heavy  to  be  disturbed  by  any  reasonable  increase  of 
velocity  that  we  could  produce  by  artificial  causes.  If  this  be  the  case, 
they  should  be  removed  by  other  means.  This  dike  was  built  on  nearly 
a  straight  line  to  the  cut,  from  whence  it  curves  slightly  to  the  head  of 
Beacon  island. 

The  "  lower  Overslaugh"  pier  is  not  essentially  injured;  but  the  pave- 
ment is  a  good  deal  deranged,  (in  some  places  sunken,)  and  is  in  danger 
of  further  injury,  in  consequence  of  this  gradual  displacement,  unless  it 
should  be  put  in  a  state  of  thorough  repair.  It  would  seem  as  if  this 
work  had  not  been  made  with  all  the  care  bestowed  on  the  other  con- 
structions ;  or  it  may  be  that  it  has  been  exposed  to  a  stronger  action  of 
the  currents.  The  owner  of  the  land  on  that  portion  of  Papscannee  on 
which  Van  Wie's  pier  joined,  complains  that,  in  consequence  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  works,  the  land  has  been  a  good  deal  washed.  It  seems  that 
the  shoulder  of  the  dam  has  been  carried  away,  and  caused  deep  water 
where  there  was  dry  land  when  the  first  surveys  were  made;  and  it  is 
apparent  that  the  island  is  washing  at  various  places:  to  prevent  which, 
the  face  of  the  island  should  be  revetted.  Opposite  the  foot  of  the  dike, 
and  about  400  feet  from  it,  lies  "  Austin's  rock,"  in  such  a  position  as  to 
render  it  very  dangerous  to  vessels,  especially  at  night.  Its  situation  is 
marked  by  a  buoy.  At  extreme  low  water,  the  highest  point  of  the  rock 
is  only  about  1  foot  below  the  surfoce.  Its  solid  contents,  down  to  11 
feet  water,  have  been  estimated  at  1,. 579.9253  cubic  yards. 

Dike  No.  2,  section  No.  3,  is  about  5,000  feet  long,  and  terminates  on 
a  concave  curve,  within  700  feet  of  Van  Wie's  point,*  a  rocky  promon- 
tory on  the  west  shore  of  the  river.  This  arrangement  tends  to  deepen 
the  channel  along  the  face  of  the  pier,  for  reasons  already  given,  and  to 
assist  in  reflecting  the  water  towards  the  east  shore  at  Staats'  wharf,  from 
whence  it  is  again  reflected  towards  Winnie's  point  on  the  west  shore. 
In  1819,  it  folloAved  the  same  course,  the  water  being  deep  (in  some  places 
26  feet)  to  the  foot  of  Bear  island,  where  there  was  but  5.9  feet,  which 
continued  down  nearly  to  Winnie's  point,  (or  Parda  Hook,  as  it  is  called 
on  the  old  maps,)  where  it  becomes  suddenly  21  feet  deep. 

In  1831,  the  currents  followed  the  same  direction,  with  about  the  same 


♦  At  this  point  Capl.  Brewerton's  surveys  terminated.    For  the  remaining  portion  of  the 

river,  we  have  Randall's  anii  Clinton's  surveys,  as  means  of  comparison. 


Doc,  No.  53. 


29 


depth  of  channel,  excepting  at  Bear  island,  where  it  seems  to  have  deep- 
ened to  some  extent. 

In  1819,  the  channel  ran  from  Winnie's  point  around  the  eastern  ex- 
treme of  the  jettie  which  had  been  erected  for  the  removal  of  a  bar  called 
"  Winnie's  shoal,"  on  which  there  was  but  5  feet  water. 

It  would  appear  from  Clinton's  survey,  that,  iu  1831,  the  channel  took 
very  much  the  same  direction  as  in  1819;  but  that  between  Winnie's 
point  and  the  east  end  of  the  jettie,  there  was  not  less  than  9  feet  water ; 
showing  an  increase  of  4  feet  since  that  period  ;  off  the  east  end  of  the 
jettie  about  12  feet;  and  from  thence  down  to  Civill's  wharf,  at  Castleton, 
from  10  to  15  feet  water. 

Randall's  map  shows  a  deep  swash  channel,  (a  kind  of  cul-de-sac^)  be- 
ginning near  the  foot  of  Smith's  island,  and  extending  past  the  jettie, 
down  to  Castleton;  the  water  being  in  many  places  15  to  17  feet  deep. 

In  1843,  it  was  found  that  the  "  line  of  deepest  water"  swept,  on 
nearly  a  direct  course,  from  Winnie's  point  to  the  foot  of  Smith's  island, 
on  which  it  impinged  with  considerable  force,  carrying  off  a  portion  of  it 
in  each  successive  flood.  From  this  point  it  flowed  between  Cow  island 
and  the  end  of  the  jettie,  through  the  old  swash  channel  already  men- 
tioned, in  which,  below  the  jettie,  has  been  formed  the  present  Castle- 
ton bar.  At  and  around  the  foot  of  Smith's  island,  there  is  deep  water; 
and,  mdeed,  there  is  no  want  of  depth  till  after  passing  the  jettie,  when 
the  "  Castleton  overslaugh"  (the  most  formidable  obstruction  on  the 
river  between  Troy  and  New  York)  is  encountered.  It  will  be  seen 
that  at  extreme  low  tide,  there  is  not  6  feet  water  on  this  bar,  besides 
which,  the  channel  is  narrow  and  sinuous  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  the 
numerous  vessels  grounding  on  it,  the  bed  of  the  river  is  heaped  up  into 
lumps  or  ridges. 

A  reference  to  the  maps  will  show — 1st,  that  the  direction  of  the  chan- 
nel has  changed  since  1819 ;  2d,  that  the  whole  of  W'inint's  bar  has 
been  removed,  and  the  Castleton  bar  been  formed,  since  that  period;  and, 
3d,  that  considerable  alterations  in  the  contour  of  the  shores  and  islands 
have  also  taken  place  in  the  mean  time. 

The  removal  of  the  one  bar,  and  the  formation  of  another,  are  clearly 
the  effects  of  the  jettie,  known  as  "Winnie's  pier  ;"*  but  the  change  in  the 
direction  of  the  "  line  of  deepest  water,"  above  the  pier,  is  not  susceptible 
of  such  easy  explanation,  and  I  have  looked  in  vain  to  the  form  of  the 
river  shores,  and  to  the  increase  of  the  shoals,  below  Staats',  for  the 
causes  of  this  alteration  ;  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  must  have 
been  produced  by  the  damming  of  the  ice,  on  some  occasion,  on  the  bar. 
In  reference  to  this  subject,  Capt.  Brewerton  states,  in  his  annual  report 
of  October  19,  1839,  that  "  at  Castleton  a  bar  was  formed  from  the  tail  of 


*  It  appears  from  the  statement  of  several  sloop  captains,  (February  28ih,  1820,)  'hat  before 
the  erection  of  the  dam  at  Winnie's  bar,  thechannel  way  opposite  the  upper  end  of  Beekman's^ 
or  Schoriack  creek,  was  wide,  and  extended  almost  to  the  east  shore,  and  that  there  existed  no 
bar  or  shoal  at  that  point;  and  ihat  since  the  ereciion  of  that  jettie,  a  shoal  bar  has  been  gradu- 
ally forming  at  that  point,  and  that  ihf.  channel  has  been  quite  narrow  and  difficult  of  naviga- 
tion. Mr.  Randall  (under  the  same  dale)  says,  "that  the  deep  water  in  front  of  Castleton, 
althongh  embodied  in  a  descending  mass  of  from  16  to  23  feet  in  depth  at  common  high  tides, 
and  confined  on  the  east  by  the  shore,  and  on  the  west  by  an  extensive  sand-bar,  bare  at  low 
water,  to  a  breadth  of  only  48  lods,  has  not  sufficient  momentuoa  to  dislodije  the  shoal  formed 
in  the  midst  of  the  channel;  but,  on  the  contrary,  has  depo>ited  a  bed  of  sand  8  feet  ia  depth, 
forming  now  the  Castleton  bar;  and  what  is  more  to  be  noticed,  immediately  beyond  the  d^n- 
struciiott  already  mentioned,  the  river  increases  in  breadth  aod  depth." 


30  Doc.  No.  53. 


Winnie's  pier,  and  running  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  towards  the  oppo- 
site shore  ;  which  deposite  may,  without  doubt,  be  attributed  entirely  to 
the  great  dam  of  ice  which  formed  below  the  village  of  Castleton  at  the 
time  of  the  great  freshet.  The  ice  reached  to  the  bed  of  the  river,  and 
remained  in  that  state  for  several  weeks,  keeping  the  water  5  or  6  feet 
above  its  usual  level  for  some  time,  and  was  only  drawn  off  very  gradu- 
ally by  pressing  over  the  flats  on  either  side  of  the  ice-dam.  All  the 
abraded  matter  from  above  was,  therefore,  deposited  in  the  neighborhood 
of  this  dam,  there  to  remain  until,  by  a  succession  of  freshets,  or  by  arti- 
ficial means,  the  obstruction  was  removed.  Fears  were  entertained  that 
considerable  difficulty  would  be  experienced  in  the  navigation  at  this 
point,  during  the  low  stages  of  water;  but  the  action  of  the  spring  fresh- 
ets had  such  a  beneficial  effect,  as  very  much  to  reduce  the  shoal  thus 
formed,  which  rendered  unnecessary  the  use  of  artificial  means  to  re- 
move it." 

After  much  careful  consideration  of  the  subject,  and  frequent  observa- 
tions on  the  condition  of  the  river  in  the  vicinity  of  Castleton,  and  being 
guided  by  the  results  of  the  public  works  on  other  portions  of  the  river, 
and  by  those  principles  which  I  think  should  govern  in  such  a  case,  I 
have  the  honor  to  submit  the  following  projet  of  improvement  for  this 
locality  : 

To  construct  a  dike,  (on  the  same  plan  as  those  already  built,)  as 
shown  on  the  chart,  from  the  foot  of  Smith's  island,  so  that  it  shall  run 
tangent  to  Cow  island,  above  the  beacon,  and  thence  on  a  line  to  the 
northwest  angle  of  Civill's  wharf,  Castleton  ;  stopping  short  of  said  wharf 
600  feet,  in  11  feet  water  at  ordinary  low  tide.  This  dike  will  be  6  feet 
above  low  tide,  (at  the  head,  and  sloping  with  the  surface  of  the  river,) 
and  3,500  feet  long.  To  build  on  the  west  shore  another  dike*  of  the 
same  height,  running  from  a  wharf  above  the  "  Vlaamon's  kill,"  in  the 
direction  laid  down  on  the  map,  towards  the  head  of  an  extensive  shoal, 
bare  at  ordinary  low  tides,  for  a  distance  of  about  4,-500  feet;  from  whence 
it  should  curve  across  the  shoal  aforesaid,  towards  Schemmerhaun's  island, 
lower  down,  and  conform  to  the  exterior  face  of  said  island — making  a 
total  length  of  8,000  feet,  including  the  revetment  of  the  island  above 
mentioned.  The  average  depth  of  water  in  which  this  latter  dike  is  pro- 
jected, would  be  less  than  4  feet  at  low  water;  that  is  to  say,  it  would  be 
about  10  feet  high  from  its  base.  In  excavating  materials  for  the  dikes, 
we  shall  remove  the  whole  of  this  bar  to  a  depth  of  11  feet  water.  Be- 
sides these  dikes,  I  would  respectfully  recommend  that  the  foot  of  Smith's 
island  be  revetted  as  far  up  as  necessary;  that  its  head  be  connected,  by  a 
dam  1,200  feet  long,  with  Pixtaway  island;  and  that  Pixtaway  be  joined 
to  Papscannee  island  by  a  dam  800  feet  long,  for  the  purpose  of  retaining 
in  the  main  channel  the  whole  volume  of  water  unbroken.  It  is  likely, 
also,  that  the  greater  portion  of  Smith's  island,  and  of  Pixtaway  above 
the  dam,  may  require  protection,  as  they  are  very  liable  to  abrasion.  It 
will  also  be  necessary  to  remove  the  greater  portion  of  Winnie's  pier  pro- 
jecting beyond  the  face  of  the  west  dike. 


*  If  the  eastern  dike  were  built  on  a  curve  slightly  concave,  it  is  possible  (and,  indeed,  not 
improbable)  that  the  whole  of  the  western  dike  below  "Winnie's  pier"  ma)'-  be  dispensed  with. 
1  would,  therefore,  reco.nmend  that  the  former  be  first  built,  leaving  it  to  experience  to  decide 
on  nie  necessity  for  the  latter.  The  reasoning  in  reference  to  the  single  concave  dike  at  Cuy- 
ler's  bar,  is  equally  applicable  to  the  present  case. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


31 


Immediately  below  Van  Wie's  pier,  the  river  is  1,200  feet  wide,  with  a 
surface  velocity  of  3  feet  per  second,  corresponding  to  a  bottom  velocity 
of  25  inches  per  second,  and  a  mean  of  30.5  inches  per  second,  at  a  3- 
feet  stage  above  our  plane  of  reference.  At  the  foot  of  dike  No.  2,  the 
width  is  the  same;  and  the  surface  velocity,  a  short  distance  below,  where 
the  river  is  somewhat  wider,  was  2.8  feet  per  second,  with  a  bottom  velo- 
city of  23.3  inches  per  second,  and  a  mean  of  2S.6  inches. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Cooper's  kill,  below  Van  W^ie's  wharf,  the  river  is 
1,130  feet  wide,  with  a  surface  velocity,  at  a  7-feet  stage,  (according  to 
Mr.  Bratt,)  of  4  feet  per  second  ;  Avhich  gives  a  bottom  velocity  of  35.151 
inches  per  second,  (sufficient  to  move  small  stones,)  and  a  mean  velocity 
of  41.570  inches.  According  to  our  own  observations,  the  surface  velo- 
city, at  a  3-feet  stage,  was  2.8  feet  per  second,  (the  same  as  at  Van  Wie's 
point,)  or  a  bottom  velocity  of  23.39  inches. 

There  is  at  this  place  17  feet  water  at  low  tide.  At  Staats'  wharf,  the 
river  is  1,350  feet  wide,  and  the  surface  velocity  2.97  feet,  and  bottom  = 
24  inches. 

At  Winnie's  wharf,  the  river  is  1,100  feet  wide;  at  a  3-feet  stage,  the 
surface  velocity  was  3.3  feet  per  second,  and  at  bottom  28  inches;  the 
low  water  at  this  point  is  18  feet  in  the  channel. 

From  the  foot  of  Smith's  island  to  the  west  shore,  it  is  1,830  feet,  and 
the  surface  velocity  near  the  island  was  3.76  feet  at  a  3-feet  stage,  giving 
a  bottom  velocity  of  31.742  inches.  The  greatest  depth  of  water  on  that 
line  was  12  feet  at  ordinary  low  tide.  This  great  velocity  is  due  to  an 
extensive  shoal  on  the  west  shore,  and  the  reflection  of  the  water,  as  be- 
fore stated,  to  the  foot  of  Smith's  island. 

The  surface  velocity  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  Winnie's  pier  is  3.7 
feet,  giving  a  bottom  velocity  of  31.742  inches;  and  at  two  points  betweea 
the  pier  and  Castleton,  the  surface  velocity  was  2.94  feet,  corresponding 
with  a  bottom  velocity  of  24  inches  per  second. 

The  new  chann^,  confined  between  the  proposed  works  at  Castleton, 
will  be — at  the  head  of  west  dike,  1,350  feet  wide;  at  the  foot  of  Smith's 
island,  the  same  width ;  at  the  vertex  of  the  curve  on  Cow  island,  1,360 
feet;  at  the  extremity  of  the  straight  portion  of  the  west  dike,  1,300  feet; 
and  at  the  termination  of  the  curve  of  said  dike,  1,380  feet:  these  dif- 
ferent widths  having  been  adapted,  as  nearly  as  practicable,  to  the  pecu- 
liarities of  the  locality,  and  to  the  effects  which  we  desired  to  produce. 

As  the  foregoing  plan  for  improving  the  navigation  through  the  Cas- 
tleton overslaugh  contemplates  the  removal,  by  dredging,  of  all  the  flu- 
viatile  deposites  from  the  channel  to  the  depth  of  11  feet,  I  think  the 
facts  which  have  been  briefly  stated  in  reference  to  the  width  of  river 
surface,  the  depth  of  water,  and  velocity  of  current,  at  various  points  near 
Castleton,  and  the  ascertained  influence  which  has  been  exerted  by  simi- 
lar works  on  other  portions  of  the  river,  will  justify  the  belief  that  the 
channel  will  be  kept  open  by  the  increased  velocity  resulting  from  the 
construction  of  the  proposed  dikes.  In  connexion  with  this  subject,  it 
will  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  heretofore  assumed,  that,  where  a 
stream  has  at  length  attained  its  regimen,*  it  seldom  happens  that  the 
heavier  matter  of  its  bed  is  disturbed,  so  long  as  its  transverse  sections 


*  The  action  of  the  Albany  pier  (and,  more  recently,  of  the  new  railroad  wharf)  is  a  stri- 
ijing  illustration  of  the  truth  of  the  proposition  embraced  in  the  above  paragraph. 


32 


Doc,  No.  53. 


remain  unaltered,  during  ordinary  floods.  It  requires,  has  been  shown 
before,  a  certain  velocity  to  destroy  the  cohesion  of  substances  forming 
the  bed  of  a  river,  when  they  are  cemented ;  and  to  transport  a  material 
of  a  given  specific  gravity.  If,  then,  we  suppose  a  flood  to  reach  a  cer- 
tain height,  it  will  exert  a  certain  effect;  but,  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
such  floods,  the  whole  efibrt  must  be  expended,  as  it  must  soon  detach 
and  remove  from  the  bed  all  the  materials  that  the  velocity  due  to  a 
given  depth  of  water,  on  a  given  transverse  section  and  slope,  can  effect.* 
So  long,  then,  as  the  freshets  remain  within  certain  limits,  no  additional 
corrosion  of  the  bed  can  be  expected,  and,  as  far  as  that  limit  is  concern- 
ed, the  river  has  attained  its  regimen  of  stability.  It  is  only,  then,  by 
extraordinary  floods  that  the  heavier  substances  can  be  disturbed;  and 
we  have  a  right  to  conclude  that  most  of  the  changes  which  occur  in  the 
beds  of  rivers  are  caused  by  the  removal  of  the  lighter  materials  which 
have  been  deposited  at  low  velocities,  compared  with  the  rate  of  flow 
during  high  freshets ;  or  else  that  they  are  produced  by  the  grounding  of 
the  ice,  in  the  breaking  up  of  the  river — an  influence  which  we  can  neither 
anticipate  nor  controLf 

The  preceding  remarks  are  not  strictly  applicable  to  the  action  of  run- 
ning waters  on  the  banks,  when  they  are  of  an  erosive  nature;  and  it 
becomes  important,  in  designing  plans  for  a  river  improvement,  not  to  lose 
sight  of  that  fact,  and  to  endeavor  to  give ,  such  a  direction  to  the  flow  of 
the  flood  as  may  prevent  its  impact  with  the  banks;  or  to  reduce  the  angle 
of  incidence  so  low  that  no  injurious  effects  may  follow;  or,  finally,  to 
protect  the  banks,  when  necessary,  with  stone  or  wood  revetments.^ 

The  materials  of  the  Castleton  bar  have  been  generally  assumed  to  be 
of  a  light  character,  but  no  borings  have  been  made,  to  any  considerable 
depth,  to  ascertain  the  true  nature  of  the  deposite;  but,  my  ir^pression 
is,  that  it  is  only  the  superficial  portion  of  it  that  is  composed  of  arena- 
ceous matter,  while  the  remainder  is  formed  of  heavy  substances,  forced 
to  that  position  by  the  action  of  the  ice.  In  a  practical  point  of  view, 
however,  the  nature  of  the  deposite  is  unimportant,  as  we  do  not  contem- 
plate resorting  to  the  scovi-  for  the  purpose  of  forming  the  channel,  but  of 
keeping  it  free  from  the  lighter  alluvion  after  it  has  been  opened.  This 
we  hope  to  effect  by  the  increased  velocity  §  due  to  the  contraction  of  the 
river,  and  to  the  direction  we  shall  give  to  the  new  channel,  which  will 
be  coincident  with  the  flow  of  the  filament  of  greatest  velocity  at  a  6-feet 
fireshet. 

We  wish  to  remove  from  the  Castleton  bar  just  so  much  of  it  as  may 
answer  our  purposes,  and  710  more;  as  the  superfluous  matter  detached 
may  assist  the  formation  of  a  new  obstruction  lower  down.  When  we 
increase  the  velocity  of  the  current  ai  a  particular  locality ,  we  can  scarcely 
hope  to  graduate  so  nicely  the  means  to  the  end,  that  it  shall  produce 
precisely  the  effect  we  desire,  and  no  other  effects.    It  may  (and  probably 


*  The  bed  of  a  river,  where  the  velocity  is  strong,  has  a  tendency,  after  a  time,  to  consoli- 
date, in  consequence  of  the  removal  of  the  lighter  substances;  and,  when  it  is  composed  of 
coarse  gravel  and  small  stones,  it  assumes  somewhat  the  appearance  of  an  artificial  pavement. 

t  It  has  been  already  noticed,  that  the  upper  Overslaugh  bar  was  formed  by  ice  in  1818;  and 
that  the  deposite  of  coarse  gravel  between  Troy  and  Albany  was  owing  to  the  failure  of  the 
State  dam,  above  Troy,  in  1840. 

J  Fascines,  or  wicker-work,  might  be  used  to  great  advantage  for  this  purpose, 

§  When  the  alluvion  has  been  once  set  in  motion,  it  will  be  kepi  moving  by  a  velocity  rather 
less  than  that  which  produced  the  first  impulse. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


33 


will,  in  the  present  case)  remove  more  of  the  shoal  than  we  wish.  The 
question,  then,  is,  to  lessen  the  probability  of  this  occurrence,  and  to  pre- 
vent it  from  injuriously  affecting  some  other  part  of  the  river.  With  this 
view,  and  with  the  additional  object  of  disposing  of  the  light  earthy  mat- 
ter brought  down  by  the  freshets,  and  held  in  mechanical  suspension  by 
its  waters,  I  have  terminated  the  projected  west  dike  with  a  long  flattened 
curve,  with  the  expectation  that  much  of  the  alluvion  will  be  directed 
by  this  arrangement  behind  and  amongst  the  shoals  and  islands  in  that 
vicinity,  where  a  diminished  velocity  will  induce  its  precipitation.  A  re- 
ference to  the  charts  and  plans  will,  I  trust,  more  clearly  explain  my 
meaning.* 

Below  Castleton,  there  is  no  very  formidable  obstruction  to  the  navi- 
gation; but  immediately  below  the  mouth  of  Schodack  creek,  there  is  a  bar 
with  8  feet  water  at  extreme  low  tide.  In  1819,  there  was  only  4.5  feet ; 
but  in  1831,  the  depth  of  water  and  direction  of  channel  were  much  the 
same  as  at  present.  It  is  proposed  to  close  the  mouth  of  Schodack  creek 
by  a  dam  600  feet  long,  which  will  probably  prevent  this  shoal  from  ever 
becoming  a  serious  evil.  It  would  also  answer  a  good  purpose  to  connect 
the  foot  of  Shad  island  with  the  west  shore,  by  a  dam  1,300  feet  long, 
leaving  a  narrow  sluice  in  it  for  the  discharge  of  the  Norman's  kill.  This 
would  assist  the  action  on  the  Schodack  shoal,  by  forcing  into  the  main 
channel  the  waters  flowing  behind  Shad  island,  where  it  is  10  and  12  feet 
deep;  besides  which,  it  would  act  in  collecting  the  alluvial  matter  which 
may  be  abraded  from  the  Castleton  bar.  It  would  also  exert  some  influ- 
ence on  the  shoal  below. 

In  1819,  the  channel  passed  very  near  the  foot  of  Shad  island,  with  a 
depth  of  8.-9  and  9  feet;  further  on,  however,  it  was  15  feet  deep,  with 
the  exception  of  one  point,  where  it  was  6.6  leet.  In  1831,  the  channel 
followed  nearly  the  same  course,  but  with  deeper  water.  At  present,  the 
line  of  deepest  water  flows  towards  the  head  of  Mull's  plaat,  where  an 
extensive  shoal  h^as  formed,  and  there  turns  rather  abruptly  towards  the 
west  shore  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mull's  rocks,  where  vessels,  unless 
they  keep  the  channel  very  carefully,  are  likely  to  run  aground.  The 
least  water  on  this  shoal  is  about  9  feet,  but  the  "  line  of  deepest  water" 
is  too  crooked  for  practical  use,  and  should  be  straightened.  In  addition 
to  this,  it  is  recommended  to  close  the  mouth  of  the  Hellegat,  by  a  dam 
2,000  feet  long,  with  an  opening  to  permit  small  vessels  to  reach  the  vil- 
lage of  Schodack,  and  to  protect  the  face  of  Mull's  plaat  island.  The  dis- 
charge of  water  through  the  Hellegat  is  considerable. 

Formerly  Coeyman^s  bar  was  a  rather  bad  shoal,  but  has  at  this  time 
no  existence,  there  being  not  less  than  12  feet  at  extreme  low  water  at  this 
place.  It  is  recommended,  for  the  protection  and  preservation  of  this 
channel,  that  the  foot  of  Mull's  plaat  should  be  joined  to  the  head  of 
Mull's  island  by  a  dam  1,400  feet  long,  and  the  necessary  revetment  of 
the  front  of  the  islands.  It  will  be  observed,  that  the  "  line  of  deepest 
water''  makes  a  deflection  between  those  two  islands  in  a  manner  to 
threaten  to  break  through  to  Shodack  creek. 

♦  By  consulting  ihe  charts,  it  will  be  observed  that,  as  the  current  is  thrown  off  from  Winnie's 
point  towards  the  foot  of  Smith's  i.-laud,  our  propo-=ed  works  are  calculated  to  receive  and  to 
direct  the  energy  of  this  curreiii  along  a  concave  curve,  without  in  any  manner  d(;ing  violence 
to  Its  initial  direction;  and  that  the  current  will  be  thrown  off,  at  the  foot  of  the  cuived  dike, 
into  deep  water,  as  at  present.  Our  new  channtl  will  then  naturally  conform  to  the  superior 
aad  inferior  reaches,  as  now  existing. 

3 


34 


Doc.  No.  53. 


The  foot  of  MulPs  island,  below  Barren  island,  is  fast  wearing  away, 
and  calls  for  immediate  protection.  Below  this  point,  I  have  no  works  to 
propose. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Vyvede  Hook,  the  river  has  undergone  many  changes 
in  the  form  of  the  shores,  the  contour  of  the  islands,  and  the  direction 
and  depth  of  the  channels;  but,  on  the  whole,  there  is  an  improvement  to 
the  navigation,  which  has  been  accomplished  by  the  natural  action  of  the 
river. 

On  the  "  Coey man's  overslaugh,"  below  Barren  island,  where  there 
was  but  5  feet  water  in  1819,  according  to  Randall's  charts,  there  is  at 
this  time  not  less  than  8  feet,  and  generally  more ;  and  in  the  new  chan- 
nel, which  has  opened  near  the  east  shore,  to  the  east  of  Teneyck's 
island,  there  is  nowhere  less  than  10  feet  at  extreme  low  water. 

From  the  head  of  Barren  island,  following  the  eastern  channel,  to  a 
point  about  one  mile  below  New  Baltimore,  the  water  is  quite  deep,  being 
in  no  place  less  than  10  feet,  and  attaining  at  New  Baltimore  a  depth  of 
26  feet;  being  several  feet  deeper  than  in  1819.  By  the  construction  of  a 
wharf  at  New  Baltimore,  the  surface  of  the  river  has  been  contracted  to 
770  feet,  and  the  increased  depth  of  water  is  the  legitimate  consequence 
of  it.  In  1819,  the  shoal  below  New  Baltimore  had,  at  the  lowest  known 
water,  a  depth  of  11.80  feet;  and,  although  the  form  and  position  of  the 
shoal  have  somewhat  changed,  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the 
depth  of  water  has  diminished  ;  and,  indeed,  1  think  we  need  apprehend 
no  such  result,  unless  heavy  matter  should  be  detached  from  the  bed  of 
the  river  higher  up,  when  it  might  be  dropped  at  this  place.  The  board 
of  engineers  express  the  same  idea  in  reference  to  this  locality,  and  re- 
mark, "  that  shoals  are  formed,  not  simply  because  the  waters  are  turbid, 
but  because  they  are  turbid  and  slow ;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  believe 
that  the  current  along  this  part  of  the  river  will  be  diminished." 

From  the  head  of  Smith's  island,  as  far  down  as  our  surveys  extended, 
the  islands,  which  have  been  formed  by  deposites  from  the  river  at  a 
period  when  it  discharged  a  much  greater  amount  of  water  than  at  pres- 
ent, are  being  rapidly  worn  away  by  the  extraordinary  and  unreasonable 
velocity  with  which  the  steamboats  move  through  the  water.  Consider- 
able portions  of  these  islands  (especially  when  in  cultivation)  are  removed 
every  year,  and  much  of  their  debris  deposited,  doubtless,  in  the  channel. 
The  swell  caused  by  the  motion  of  the  boats  is  very  great;  wave  after 
wave  breaks  on  the  shore,  carrying  back,  in  its  reflux,  the  soil  from  the 
river  banks.* 

The  question  has  been  often  asked,  "  whether,  if  the  proposed  works 
should  be  completed,  and  the  obstructions  removed  from  the  river  between 
Troy  and  New  Baltimore,  would  there  not  be  other  bars  formed  below 
the  latter  point,  in  consequence  of  those  works  ?"  I  think  that  no  such 
apprehension  need  be  entertained,  inasmuch  as  my  plan  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  Castleton  overslaugh  (the  lowest  and  worst  obstruction  re- 
maining on  the  river)  contemplates  the  entire  removal,  by  dredging,  of  so 
much  of  the  bar  as  may  be  necessary  to  obtain  a  channel-way  of  11  feet 


♦  So  great  is  the  effect  of  this  swell,  that  our  quarter-boat,  which  was  moored  stem  and 
stern  to  the  shore,  with  anchors  also  at  both  extremities,  was  driven  off,  on  one  occasion,  by 
the  passing  of  the  steamer  Troy,  and  was  nearly  wrecked.  Nothing  but  the  care  with  which 
she'nad  been  fastened  saved  her.  The  difference  in  level  between  the  highest  swell  and  the 
lowest  depression  of  ibe  reflux  is  several  feet. 


•Doc.  No.  53. 


35 


depth  at  low  water.  The  special  board  of  engineers  have  treated  this 
question  so  satisfactorily,  that  I  feel  it  to  be  quite  unnecessary  to  add  to 
their  observations. 

Mr.  Randall  estimated  the  quantity  of  dirt  to  be  removed  from  a  chan- 
nel 660  feet  wide,  and  12  feet  deep  at  ordinary  low  water,  from  Troy  to 
New  Baltimore,  at  8,000,000  cubic  yards.  The  board  show,  by  calcula- 
tion, that  if  the  whole  of  this  amount  of  deposite  were  removed  from  the 
bars,  and  were  again  equally  distributed  over  a  distance  of  8  miles,  from 
New  Baltimore  down,  it  would  still  leave  10.55  feet  depth  at  low  water, 
even  if  the  river  were  no  wider  than  at  New  Baltimore;  whereas  it  is, 
in  reality,  more  than  double  that  width,  on  an  average.  "  It  is  not  to  be 
supposed,  however,"  add  the  board,  "  that  this  matter  will  all  be  depos- 
ited within  this  distance.  The  more  probable  operation  will,  in  general 
terms,  be  this:  On  reaching  a  point  where  the  velocity  is  diminished  in 
a  slight  degree,  the  heaviest  and  largest  of  the  materials  only  will  find 
it  insufficient  for  their  further  transport,  and  these  only  will  be  deposited; 
another  diminution  of  velocity  will  leave  behind  the  matter  standing 
next  in  the  descending  scale  as  to  magnitude  and  weight ;  and  so  on, 
until  at  last  the  waters  bear  up  fine  particles  alone." 

Section  44.  "  In  a  channel  nearly  direct,  uniformly  enlarging  in  sec- 
tion, and  lessening  in  velocity,  the  operation  would  be  nearly  as  just  de- 
scribed. But  in  all  rivers  there  are  disturbing  causes  of  this  regularity, 
and,  amongst  these,  are  chiefly  worthy  of  notice,  the  branching  of  the 
channel  around  islands,  and  sudden  enlargement  of  the  bed ;  both 
taking  off,  to  be  dropped  in  the  more  quiet  places,  much  of  the  lighter 
matter  mixed  with  the  water.  We  may  presume  that  the  transported 
matter,  instead  of  composing  a  stratum  of  several  feet  in  thickness,  just 
below  the  termination  of  the  artificial  works,  will  be  spread,  in  a  thin 
layer,  over  many  miles  of  length." 

The  report  further  says:  "Now  taking  this  depth,  (of  9  feet,)  and  using 
Mr.  Clinton's  calculations  of  the  quantity  to  be  dredged,  it  is  found  that 
to  obtain  a  chanliel  of  660  feet  wide  (the  width  given  by  Mr.  Randall) 
will  call  for  the  removal  of  about  2,000,000  cubic  yards,  or  less  than  one- 
fourth  of  the  before-stated  quantity  of  8,224,674  cubic  yards.  This 
quantity  would,  in  the  supposition  before  made,  (section  42,)  if  deposited 
in  a  bed  of  6.45  feet  deep,  extend  less  than  two  miles  below  New  Balti- 
more; if  spread  along  the  bed  for  eight  miles,  would  raise  it  but  1.60 
foot;  and  if  diffused  uniformly  over  the  bottom  as  far  as  Hudson,  would 
cause  an  elevation  thereof  of  about  6  inches. 

"  Section  47.  If,  now,  the  better  to  compare  this  operation  with  the 
canal  projects,  we  take  a  breadth  of  300  feet  for  the  channel — again  using 
Mr.  Clinton's  calculations — the  quantity  to  be  removed  would  be  less 
than  1,000,000  cubic  yards:  calling  it  1,000,000,  it  would  barely  fill  the 
basin  in  front  of  New  BaUimore  6.45  feet  high,  would  raise  the  bed  10 
inches  for  a  length  of  8  miles,  or  about  3  inches  for  a  length  of  20  miles. 

"  Section  48.  It  would  appear,  from  the  above  statement,  that  the  quan- 
tity of  2,000,000  cubic  yards  might  be  left  to  the  disposal  of  the  floods, 
with  the  probability  that  no  harm  would  result  therefrom  to  the  lower 
portion  of  the  river  ;  and,  of  course,  the  probability  would  be  the  greater, 
with  the  lesser  quantity  of  1,000,000  cubic  yards." 

Accompanying  this  report,  as  an  appendix,  will  be  found  tables  mark- 
ed A,  B,  C,  and  D,  and  a  list  of  vessels  trading  .to  Albany,  marked  Fu 


36 


Doc.  No  53. 


A,  B,  and  C,  are  taken  from  the  report  of  the  commissioners  of  the  canal 
fund  to  the  legislature  of  New  York,  in  1842.  They  refer  to  the  value 
of  the  trade  on  the  New  York  canals. 

It  will  be  seen  from  these  tables,  that,  in  1841,  the  value  of  the  trade  on 
all  the  canals  (see  A)  was  $92,202,929.  By  statement  B,  it  seems  that 
the  value  of  all  articles  arriving  at  tide  water  was  -  -  $27,228,322 

It  appears  by  table  No.  3,  of  the  commissioners'  report,  that 

the  value  of  all  articles  shipped  from  Albany  and  Troy, 

on  the  canals,  was         -  .  .  -  .  56,798,447 

Making  a  grand  total  of      -  -  -  -  -  ^84,026,769 

transported  on  the  upper  tidal  waters  of  the  Hudson  river.  This  is  exclu- 
sive of  the  consumption  of  supplies  by  the  inhabitants  of  Albany,  Troy, 
and  the  surrounding  country,  and  by  the  numerous  travellers  stopping  in 
those  cities. 

In  this  valuable  trade,  the  following  States  appear  to  have  participated^ 
viz:  South  Carolina,  North  Carolina,  Virginia, Maryland,  Delaware, Penn- 
sylvania, New  Jersey,  New  York,  all  the  New  England  States,  Ohio,  In- 
diana, Illinois,  Michigan,  and  the  Territories  of  Iowa  and  Wisconsin- 
making,  in  all,  eighteen  States  and  two  Territories.  The  principal  part  of 
this  trade  belongs,  however,  to  New  York,  Massachusetts,  Vermont,  the 
northwestern  States  and  Territories,  and  the  northwestern  part  of  Penn- 
sylvania; although  the  other  States  embraced  in  the  above  enumeration 
are  also  interested  in  this  commerce,  but  in  a  less  degree.  The  trade 
with  the  northwestern  States  is  growing  rapidly ;  and  it  appears  from  the 
reports  of  the  "  commissiorers  of  the  canal  fund,"  that  the  principal 
(and,  indeed,  nearly  the  entire)  increase  in  the  trade  on  the  New  York 
State  canals  is  derived  from  those  States. 

In  1842  the  amount  of  trade  was  less  than  in  1841,  owing  to  peculiar 
circumstances;  but  in  1843  it  has  been  very  much  greater  than  in  any 
preceding  year,  but  the  final  returns  are  not  yet  available.  It  has  been 
stated,  however,  on  good  authority,  that  it  will  probably  exceed  the  sum 
of  $100,000,000. 

Statement  D  shows  the  amount  of  estimates  for  the  improvement,  and 
of  the  appropriations  made  by  Congress  for  that  object. 

The  list  of  vessels  (E)  exhibits  the  number,  classification,  and  tonnage  of 
the  different  vessels  which  have  arrived  at,  and  cleared  from,  the  port  of 
Albany.  It  shows  that  714  different  vessels  had  stopped  at  Albany,  from 
the  opening  of  the  spring  navigation  of  1843,  to  November  20  of  the  same 
year,  and  a  total  tonnage  of  57,930  tons.  It  will  be  noticed  that  there 
were  47  steamboats  and  64  towboats  embraced  in  the  list,  constantly  tra- 
ding to  and  from  Albany. 

On  examining  this  list,  it  will  be  seen  that  it  embraces  vessels  belong- 
ing and  trading  to  the  following  States,  viz  :  South  Carolina,  North  Caro- 
lina, Virginia,  Maryland,  Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Maine.  Some  of  the  smaller  steamboats  pass  through  the  Northern,  or 
Champlain  canal,  trading  to  Vermont. 

In  concluding  this  report,  it  remains  for  us  to  advert  to  but  one  other 
point;  that  is,  to  the  vast  importance  of  Albany  as  a  military  post  for  the 
defence  of  the  northern  frontier,  and  a  portion  of  the  Atlantic  coast. 

In  reference  to  this  subject,  I  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  extract 


Doc.  No.  53. 


37 


from  a  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  by  a  board  of  officers,  of  which 
Col.  Totten,  of  the  corps  of  engineers,  was  president.* 

"  In  reference  to  the  northern  frontier,  generally,  it  is  the  decided 
opinion  of  the  board,  tliat,  besides  the  defences  which  have  been  sug- 
gested along  the  border,  chiefly  for  purposes  of  local  protection,  there 
should  be  a  great  central  station  at  some  position  in  the  interior,  at  which 
troops  might  be  assembled  for  instruction,  and  where  they  would  still 
be  within  supporting  distance  of  the  more  exposed  parts  of  the  frontier. 

Turning  our  views  inland,  in  search  of  some  single  position  at  which 
preparations  might  be  made  for  extending  operations  on  this  frontier,  and 
from  which  aid  and  succor  could  always  be  speedily  derived;  some  posi- 
tion which,  while  it  shall  be  equally  near  to  many  important  points  of  the 
enemy's  possessions,  shall  afford,  at  no  time,  any  indication  of  the  direc- 
tion in  which  our  efforts  are  to  be  made;  which  will,  if  it  be  possible, 
unite  the  opposite  qualities  of  bemg  at  the  same  time  remote  and  proxi- 
mate— far  as  to  distance,  but  near  as  to  time — which,  while  it  brings  a 
portion  of  the  military  resources  of  the  country  to  the  support  of  the  in- 
land frontier,  and  places  them  in  the  best  attitude  for  operations  in  that 
quarter,  whether  defensive  or  offensive,  at  the  same  time  takes  them  not 
away  fi'om  the  seacoast.  Looking  for  these  various  properties,  we  find 
them  all  united,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  in  the  position  of  Albany, 

From  this  place,  by  steamboat,  canal-boat,  or  railroad  car,  troops  and 
munitions  could  be  transported,  in  a  short  time,  to  Buffalo,  or  onward  to 
Detroit,  to  Oswego,  to  Sacketts'  Harbor,  to  Plattsburg,  to  Boston,  and 
along  the  coast  of  New  England;  to  New  York  by  steamboat  now,  and 
soon  by  railroad  also;  and  thence  onward  to  Philadelphia,  Baltimore, 
Washington,  and  the  heart  of  the  southern  country,  if  necessary.  In  a 
word,  Albany  is  a  great  central  position,  from  which  radiate  the  principal 
lines  of  communication  to  the  north,  to  the  south,  to  the  east,  and  to 
the  west;  and  combines  so  many  advantages  for  a  military  depot,  that 
the  expediency  occupying  it,  and  thus  availing  ourselves  of  those  ad- 
vantages, would  seem  to  be  manifest." 

It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  call  the  attention  of  the  department  to 
the  highly  satisfactory  manner  in  which  my  assistants  (1st  Lieut.  Sit- 
^reaves,  topographical  engineers,  and  Mr.  Williams)  have  discharged 
their  duty.  To  Lieut.  Sitgreaves  I  am  especially  indebted  for  the  beau- 
tiful and  exact  charts  of  the  river,  accompanying  this  report,  which  were 
drawn  by  him. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  colonel. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

GEO.  W.  HUGHES, 
Captain  Coiys  Topographical  Engineers  U.  S.  A, 

To  Col.  J.  J.  Abert, 

Chief  Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers. 


*  See  document  No.  206,  Isi  session  2Gih  Congress,  BIuUj.e  of  Represeniaiives. 


38 


Doc.  No.  53. 


The  select  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  the  commumcation  of  Geo. 
W.  Hughes,  esq.,  engineer,  asking  for  certain  information  in  relation 
to  the  commerce  and  navigation  of  the  Hudson  river,  at  this  city,  re- 
spectfully report : 

That,  in  order  to  procure  all  the  materials  necessary  to  a  full  and  prac- 
tical understanding  of  the  subject,  application  was  made  to  A.  Gallup,  Uni- 
ted States  collector  of  the  port,  H.  C.  South  wick,  canal  collector,  John  L. 
Hyatt,  dock-master,  Seth  F.  Kelley,  agent  People's  Lineof  steamboats,  and 
to  the  proprietors  and  agents  of  the  several  towboat  companies;  all  of 
whom  furnished  cheerfully,  and  with  great  promptness,  the  information 
desired. 

The  following  is  the  substance  of  the  information  received.  The  dep- 
uty collector  states,  that,  from  January  1,  1843,  to  the  20th  instant,  the 
amount  of  tonnage  licensed  was  15,543^  J  tons.  This  only  embraces  the 
licenses  issued  to  new  vessels,  or  in  consequence  of  a  change  of  owner- 
ship, or  for  a  renewal  of  old  licenses,  and  is  only  about  one-fourth  of  the 
amount  of  tonnage  employed  at  this  port. 

The  dock-master  gives  the  following  as  the  number  and  tonnage  of  the 
vessels  embraced  within  his  jurisdiction,  viz  : 

367  sloops,  measuring  -  -  -        18,853  tons. 

206  schooners,  measuring     -  -  -        13,553  " 

64  towboats,  measuring       -  -  -  9,997  " 

40  steamboats,  measuring   -  -  -        12,946  " 

18  scows,  measuring  -  -  -  975  " 

Total         -  -  -    ,      -  -        56,324  tons. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  there  are  between  three  and  four  hundred 
lake  boats,  (as  they  are  termed,)  of  about  60  tons  each,  engaged  in  the 
navigation  of  the  canal,  and  which  also  make,  during  the  season,  about 
300  trips  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  the  tonnage  of  which  should  be 
included  in  the  aggregate  above  stated. 

The  schooners  make,  on  an  average,  about  ten  trips  during  the  season; 
the  towboats  jonrteen^  and  the  sloops  eighteen. 

From  the  communication  of  Seth  F.  Kelley,  agent,  it  appears  that, 
during  the  past  season,  7iineteeti  steamboats  (which  excludes  those  en- 
gaged in  towing  boats)  had  made  1,644  trips,  and  that  the  number  of 
passengers  conveyed  on  said  boats  amounts  to  near  three  hundred  and 
ninety  thousand.  He  also  states  that,  with  one  exception,  these  vessels 
had  been  detained  by  the  obstructions  in  the  river  from  one  to  six  hours 
each,  for  at  least  one-third  of  the  period  from  July  1  to  the  close  of  navi- 
gation. 

'J 'he  following  was  obtained  from  H.  0.  Southwick,  canal  collector. 
Property  cleared  at  Albany,  during  the  year  1843,  going  west  or  north, 
on  the  Erie  or  Champlain  canals,  63,316  tons;  of  which  46,440  tons  were 
merchandise. 

Value  of  property  cleared     -  -  -  -        $17,754,796  00 

Amount  of  tolls  paid  thereon  -  -  -  274,495  64 

Property  left  at  Albany  during  the  same  period,  441,013  tons;  of  which 
188,976  tons  were  agricultural  products,  and  218,628  tons  the  product  of 
the  forest:  total  value  of  the  property  left,  $14,238,567.  The  quantity 
of  flour  embraced  in  the  above  was  1,297,897  barrels;  and  in  wheat, 
138,542  bushels. 


Doc.  No.  53. 


The  committee  were  in  hopes  that  they  would  be  able  to  incorporate  in 
this  report  the  amount  and  value  of  property  coming  from  other  States, 
via  Oswego,  Black  Rock,  and  Buffalo;  but,  on  application  being  made  to 
the  canal  department,  this  afternoon,  for  such  information,  they  were  in- 
formed that  the  returns  of  the  collector  at  Buffalo  had  not  been  received; 
although  one  of  the  Buffalo  papers,  published  on  Saturday  last,  states 
that  the  collector  had  completed  his  annual  statements,  and  publishes  a 
general  statement  of  the  transactions  of  that  office ;  and  from  which  it 
appears  that  there  were  cleared  from  that  place,  via  the  Erie  canal,  during 
the  past  season,  upwards  of  880,000  barrels  of  flour,  and  near  1,700,000 
bushels  of  wheat;  the  most  of  which  must  have  been  received  from  other 
States :  showing,  conclusively,  that  the  western  States,  as  well  as  our  own, 
are  deeply  interested  in  the  improvement  of  the  Hudson  river. 

The  committee  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  enter  into  an  elaborate 
argument  to  prove  the  necessity  of  the  improvement  in  question,  but 
merely  to  present  a  statement  of  facts;  and  they  recommend  that  the 
facts  here  presented,  as  also  the  communication  of  S.  F.  Kelley,  be  for- 
warded to  our  Representative  in  Congress,  to  be  disposed  of  by  him  as 
his  judgment  shall  dictate. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

V.  TEN  EYCK, 
E.  M.  TEALL, 
W.  W.  FORSYTH. 

Albany,  December  26, 1843. 


To  the  Com  mon  Council  of  the  city  of  Troy : 

The  navigation  and  special  committee,  to  whom  was  referred  a  commu- 
nication from  George  W.  Hughes,  esq.,  of  the  topographical  engineers, 
in  charge  of  the  #Hudson  river  improvement,  requesting  to  be  furnished 
with  certain  statistical  facts,  have  obtained  from  the  most  authentic 
sources  in  their  power,  (in  the  short  time  given  them,)  most  of  the  infor- 
mation required  by  said  communication,  and  now 

Report^  in  answer  to  the  interrogatories  contained  in  the  letter  from 
Mr.  Hughes,  as  follows  : 

1st.  The  amount  of  property  cleared  at  the  collector's  office  at  West 
Troy,  for  the  west  and  north,  during  the  season  of  1843,  according  to 
statistics  furnished  by  the  collector,  was  105,955  tons ;  and  that  the  esti- 
mated value  of  the  same  is  $24,518,237. 

2d.  The  amount  of  property  received  at  the  same  office,  during  the 
same  time,  from  statistics  furnished  by  the  collector,  was  393,267  tons; 
and  that  the  estimated  value  of  the  same  is  $14,138,032. 

3d.  The  number  of  trips  of  steamboats  arriving  at  and  leaving  Troy 
the  past  season,  was  2,996;  the  number  of  passengers  transported  by 
them  was  151,968;  the  number  of  steamboats  employed,  14.  These 
statistics  were  furnished  by  L.  H.  Tupper,  agent  of  the  Troy  and  New 
York  Steamboat  Association. 

4th.  The  number  of  sail  vessels,  and  steam  and  towboats,  arriving  at 
and  leaving  Troy,  and  other  places  in  its  vicinity,  above  Albany,  during 
the  year  1843,  was  267;  most  of  which  have  made  from  twelve  to  twenty 
trips  each,  during  the  season ;  and  that  their  tonnage  is  31,627||  tons,  as 


40  Doc.  No.  53. 


reported  to  the  committee  by  one  of  their  number,  Mr.  T.  B.  Bigelow, 
United  States  deputy  collector. 

5th.  The  amount  of  property  transported  on  the  Hudson  river,  above 
Albany,  for  the  year  1843,  is  estimated  by  persons  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness, well  qualified  to  judge,  at  292,500  tons. 

In  regard  to  the  amount  of  property  received  and  cleared  by  canals, 
the  committee  would  remark,  that  a  large  amount  passes  through  the 
locks  into  the  river  and  canals  at  Waterford,  which  is  not  included  in 
their  estimates. 
All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted: 

JARED  S.  WEED,  ^ 

THOS.  SYMOJNDS,  yCommiaee. 

RUSSELL  SAGE,  ) 

Troy,  December  21, 1843. 


Doc.  No  53. 


41 


A. 

! 

Description,)  quantity,  and  value  of  all  the  'property  cleared  at  all  the  col- 
lectors'  offices  on  the  New  York  State  canals  in  1841. 


Description  of  articles. 

Gluantiiy, 

Reduced  to 

tons  of 
2,000  lbs. 

Estimated 
value  of 
each  ar- 
ticle. 

Estimated 
value  of 
each  class. 

The  forest. 
Fur  and  peltry   -         -  - 

Pounds  - 

6,316,000 

55  / ,  400 ,  oOO 

Product  of  wood  : 

Boards  and  scantling 
Shingles      -         -  . 
Timber 

Slaves  ... 
Wood 

Ashes  ... 

Feet 

Thousands 
Cubic  feet 
Pounds  - 
Cords  - 
Barrels  - 

209,134,200 
54,526 
4,021,650 

121,708,000 
48,240 
37,684 

348,557 
8,179 
80,433 
60,854 
135,070 
9,421 

$2,316,345 
158,693 
302,236 
565,506 
124,406 
910,559 

4,377,747 

Total  ot"  the  forest 

645,548 

11,841,103 

Agriculture. 
Product  of  animals: 
Pork 
Beef- 

Cheese  "  - 
Butter  and  lard 
Wool 

Barrels  - 
do  - 

Pounds  • 
do  - 
do  - 

143,840 
21,153 
15,458,000 
16,660,000 
4,490,000 

21,576 
3,173 
7,729 
8,330 
2,245 

1,423,117 
154,755 
924,266 
1,982,872 
1,659,511 

Product  of  animals 

43,053 

6,144,521 

Vegetable  food ;  ' 
Flour 
Wheat 

Rye  .... 
Corn          _         .  - 
Barley 

Other  grain  - 

Bran  and  ship-stuffs 

Peas  and  beans 

Potatoes      .         -  - 

Dried  fruit  - 

Barrels  - 
Bushels - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
no 

do  - 
do  - 
Pounds  - 

1,911,768 
3,083,700 
22,320 
267,900 
378,200 
569,000 

46,883 
61,760 
]  ,  lOo,UUt' 

206,471 
92,511 
625 
8,037 
9,455 
12,804 
9,409 
1,406 
1,544 
578 

10,478,416 
3,373,451 
13,260 
144,483 
192,867 
259,214 
107,418 
41,364 
9,803 
67,469 

V  egeiauie  loon  - 

It ,uo / , tto 

All  other  agricultural  products: 
Cotton 

Tobacco      -          -  - 
Glover  and  grass-seed 
Flax-seed 
Hops 

Pounds  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 

3,760,000 
2,144,000 
3,806,000 
1 ,864,000 
450,000 

1,880 
1,072 
1,903 
932 
225 

389,870 
261,846 
292,416 
48,582 
76,733 

All  other  agricultural  products 

6,012 

1,069,447 

Total  agriculture 

391,905 

21,901,713 

42  Doc.  No.  53. 


A— Continued. 


Description  of  articles. 

Gluantity. 

Reduced  to 

tons  of 
2,000  lbs. 

Estimated 
value  of 
each  ar- 
ticle. 

Estimated 
value  of 
each  class. 

Manufactures. 

Domestic  spirits 

J-JCdl  lie  I 

Furniture    -         -  . 
Bar  and  pig  lead 
Pig  iron 
Iron  ware 

Domestic  woollens  - 

Domestic  cottons 

Salt  -         -         -  - 

Gallons  - 
Pounds  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
do  - 
Barrels  - 

2,188,400 
2,424,000 
12,942,000 
594,000 
14,060,000 
12,196,000 
686,000 
1,368,000 
632,227 

10,942 

1  019 

6,471 

29: 
7,030 
6,098 
343 
684 
94,819 

S60n,498 
Do  /  /y 
1,423,454 
30,796 
258,367 
571,839 
815,631 
475,704 
708,847 

Total  manufactures 

127,896 

S5, 422, 615 

Merchandise 

Pounds  - 

OQO  1  no  r\(\(\ 
4oZ, lUo,UUU 

141,054 

- 

50,134,320 

Other  articles: 

Stone,  lime,  and  clay 

Gypsum 

Mmeral  coal 

Sundries      •         •  . 

Pounds  - 
do  - 
do  . 

do  ^ 

260,620,000 
61,772,000 
49,394,000 
58,730,000 

130,310 
30,886 
24,697 

470,571 
104,792 
127,596 

Other  articles  - 

215,258 

2,903,178 

Total 

1,521,661 

92,202,929 

Doc.  xVo.  53. 


43 


B. 


Statement  of  all  the  property  which  came  to  the  Hudson  river  on  the  canals 
in  1841,  loith  the  quantity  and  estimated  value  of  each  article  in  Albany 
and  Troy. 


Description  of  articles. 

Price. 

Quantity. 

Reduced  to 

tons  of 
2,000  lbs. 

Value  of 
each  ar- 
ticle. 

Value  of 
each  class. 

The  forest. 
Fur  and  peltry 

SI  25  per  pound 

1,180,000 

590 

SI, 475, 000 

Product  of  wood : 
Boards  and  scantling 
Shingles  -         -  - 
Timiaer  - 
Staves 

VV  OOQ       ■             -  - 

Ashes 

Sn  per  1,000  ft. 

54  per  1,000  - 
S21  pr.  100  cub.  ft. 
5  mills  pr.  pound 

55  50  per  cord  - 
S25  per  barrel  - 

177,720,349 

46,385 
1,028,576 
110,542,839 

43,093 

296,200 
5,798 
20,521 
55,271 

P>Q  Qzl9 

10,773 

S3, 021, 245 
185,540 
216,000 
552,714 

1  1  7  1A.A 
11/, 

1,077,325 

5,170,568 

Total  of  the  forest  - 

449,095 

6,645,568 

As:ricullure. 
Product  of  animals  : 
Pork 
Beef 

Cheese    -          -  - 
Butler  and  laid  - 
Wool  - 

S9  50  per  barrel 
$7  do 
6  cts.  per  pound 
13  do 
39  do 

115,150 
18,113 
14,171,081 
16,157,653 
3,617,075 

17,272 
2,716 
7,085 
8,079 
1,808 

1,093,925 
126,791 
850,264 
2,100,494 
1,410,659 

Product  of  animals  - 

36,960 

5,582,133 

Vegetable  food :  ' 

riour       .            .  - 

Wheat  - 
Rye 

Corn 

Barley  - 
Other  grain 
Bran  and  ship  stuffs 
Peas  and  beans  - 
Potatoes  - 
Dried  fruit 

bc\  per  barrel 
§1  15  per  bushel 
t>4cts.  perbushtrl 
63  do 
65  do 
40  do 
16  do 
SI  05  do 
30  cts.  do 
7  cts.  per  pound 

1 ,64  i  ,49-i 
781,055 
8,070 
119,762 
121,010 
663,375 
566,013 
39,280 
32,397 
498,697 

1  '*"*r  n.io 

1 /7,y4y 
23,431 
226 
3,593 
2,904 
14,925 
5,094 
1,178 
810 
249 

O  Ofi'?  1/10 

898,213 
5,164 
75,450 
78,656 
265,350 
90,562 
41,244 
9,719 
34,908 

Vegetable  food 

•  - 

- 

230,339 

- 

10,166,408 

All  other  agrict-ltural  prod- 
ucts : 
Cotton 

Tobacco  -         -  . 
Clover  and  grass-seed  - 
Flax-^eed 
Hops 

10  cts.  per  pound 

11  do 
13  do 

2i  do 
15  do 

196,842 
8.50, 73-2 
3,571,334 
966,263 
298,096 

98 
425 
1,786 
483 
149 

19,684 
93,580 
464,273 
24,156 
44,714 

All  other  agric'l  products 

2,941 

646,407 

Total  agric'l  product-^ 

270,240 

16,994,948 

44 


Doc.  No,  53. 

B — Continued. 


Description  of  articles. 

Price. 

Gluantity. 

Reduced  to 

tons  of 
2,000  lbs. 

Value  of 
each  ar- 
ticle. 

Value  of 
each  class. 

Manufactures. 

Domestic  spirits  - 

Leather  -         -  - 

Furniture 

Bar  and  pig  lead 

Pig  iron  -         -  - 

Iron  ware 

Domestic  woollens 

Domestic  cotions 

Salt 

25  cts.  per  gallon 
23  cts.  per  pound 
11     '  do 

bh  do 

If  do 
do 

SI  15  do 

37^  cts.  do 

SI  83  per  barrel 

2,022,770 
1  856  900 
1,' 538^727 
259,172 
4,037,423 
889,777 
424,810 
1,093,618 
18,197 

10,113 
928 
769 
13(1 
2,018 
445 
212 
547 
2,729 

S505,692 
427  087 
169^259 
14,254 
70,654 
40,039 
488,531 
410,106 
34,210 

Total  manufactures  - 

17,891 

S2, 159,832 

Merchandise 

18  CIS.  per  pound 

309,900 

155 

55,782 

Other  articles: 

Stone,  lime,  and  clay 
Gypsum  - 
Mineral  coal 
Sundries  - 

I  mill  per  pound 
2i  do 
4  do 
4  cts.  per  pound 

25,726,735 
120,772 
16,089,871 
31,9/0, I3b 

12,863 
60 
8,045 
15,985 

25,726 
302 
64,359 
1 ,278,805 

Other  articles  - 

36,953 

1,369,182 

Total 

774,334 

27,225,322 

Doc.  No.  53. 


45 


The  following  statement  shows  the  tons,  and  the  value  of^  and  the  tolls  paid 
on,  each  article  transported  on  all  the  ca7ials,  during  the  year  1841. 


Articles. 

Tons. 

Value. 

Tolls. 

JOUUiS, 

Toll,  at  2  cents  ..... 
Toll  on  packet.s        ^         *         .         .  . 

8142,375  44 
16,145  16 

Total  boats  .... 

158,520  60 

Passengers. 

Smtetfients,  and  rep  ined      »          .          *  . 

• 

- 

21,297  97 

Tola]  passengers' 

21,297  97 

T/ie  forest. 

Fur  and  peltry  ..... 
Product  of  V  ood : 

Boards  and  scantling  .... 

Shingles 

Timber 

Slaves 

Wood  

Ashes  - 

3,034 

348,557 
8,179 
80,433 
60,854 
135,070 
9,421 

S7, 463, 356 

2,316,345 
158,693 
302, -^38 
565.506 
124,406 
910,559 

5,086  72 

135.890  62 
11,719  08 
53,963  35 
t)7,569  41 
17,103  83 
22,111  53 

Total  foreot     -         .         -  . 
9 

645,518 

11,841,103 

313,444  51 

Agriculture, 

Product  of  animals: 

Pork  

Beef  

Cheese 

Butler  and  lard  ..... 
Wool 

21,576 
3,173 

7,:29 
8,330 
2,245 

1,423,117 
154,7.55 
924,266 
1,982, 87  •> 
1,659,511 

51,774  56 
4,496  79 
9,353  74 

17,935  93 
3,749  40 

Total  product  of  animals 

43,053 

6,144,521 

87,310  47 

Vegetable  food : 
Flour 

Wheat  

Rye 

Corn 

Barley 

Other  grain  ..... 

Bran  and  ship  stuffs  .... 

Peas  and  bean;:  ..... 

Potatoes  ...... 

Dried  fruit  ..... 

206,471 
92,511 
625 
8,037 
9,455 
12,804 
9.409 
1,406 
1,544 
578 

10,478,416 
3,373,451 
13,260 
144,483 
192, 8o7 
259,214 
107,418 
41,364 
9,8()3 
67,469 

509,229  40 
111,816  31 
363  02 
13,723  17 
12,764  80 
19,612  24 
14,401  65 
3,104  09 
1,326  36 
1,349  37 

Toial  vegetable  i  jod   -         -  - 

342,840 

14,687,745 

687,690  41 

46 


Doc.  No.  53. 

C — Continued. 


Articles. 

Tons. 

Value. 

Tolls 

All  other  a2;ricnlinral  products: 
Cotton 
Tobacco 

Clover  and  grass  seed  - 

Flax  seed  ------ 

Hops  

1 ,880 
1,072 
1,903 
932 
225 

S389 , 870 
261,846 
292,416 
48,582 
76,733 

82,060  01 
2,533  79 
5,149  08 
928  03 
270  86 

Total  all  olher  agricultural  products  - 

6,012 

1,069,447 

10,941  77 

Total  agriculture       -         .  - 

391 ,905 

21,901,713 

785,942  65 

Manufactures. 

Domestic  spirits  ----- 

Leather  ------ 

Furniture  ------ 

Bar  and  pig  lead  ----- 

Pig  iron  ------ 

Iron  ware  ------ 

Domestic  woollens    -         -         -         -  - 

Domestic  cottons      -         -         -         .  . 
Salt   

10,942 
1,212 
6,471 
297 
7,030 
6,098 
343 
6H4 
94,819 

600,498 
Oo7,4  <y 
1,423,454 
30,796 
258,367 
571,839 
815,631 
475,704 
708,847 

20,543  47 
1  111  0,4 
1,111  z\ 

11,145  73 

621  96 

8,729  53 

8,699  32 

417  59 

782  65 

43,543  85 

Total  manufactures  ... 

127,896 

5,422,615 

95,595  34 

Merchandise           -         -         -         -  - 

141,054 

50,134,320 

558,003  28 

Olher  articles : 
Stone,  lime,  and  clay       -         -         _  - 
Gypsum  ------ 

Mineral  coal  - 

Sundries  ------ 

130,310 

30,886 
24,697 
29 , 365 

470,571 
104,792 
127,596 
2,200,219 

22,270  01 
10,384  98 
15,785  82 
53,637  63 

Total  other  articles 

215,258 

2,903,178 

102,078  44 

Grand  total      -         .         .  - 

1,521,661 

92,202,929 

2,034,882  82 

Doc.  No.  53. 


47 


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48 


Doc.  No.  53. 


List  of  the  several  vessels  that  arrived  at,  and  cleared  from,  the  port  of 
Albany,  Nero  York,  from  the  opening  of  spring  navigation  in  1843* 
to  the  20th  November  of  the  same  year  ;  compiled  from  the  official  returns 
of  the  Albany  Pier  Company. 


Name  oi  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons, 

SLOOPS. 

John  C.  Baxter 

roiighkeepsie 

bl 

Favorite  - 

Hudson 

/  1 

Relief   -          -          *  - 

Kingston  - 

A  A 

44 

Josephine 

Schodack  - 

fin 

DU 

Ixem     -          *          -          -  ^ 

Providence 

ou 

Trenton          *          .  . 

1  ougiiKeepsie 

uo 

Comet 

Poughkeepsie 

il 

CI  1           I          J  _ 

Shepherdess 

Albany 

Tantivy  - 

New  Haven 

oi 

Mary  .... 

Poughkeepsie 

Ob 

Reaper            -          .  . 

New  Haven 

i  o 

TT         1  111 

Hardscrabble  - 

Brookhaven 

bU 

J.  D.  Lawrence 

Kingston  - 

Alired  -          -          -  - 

Albany 

1 1  n 

1  lU 

Emperor 

Albany      .          -  . 

<  u 

Tritripice        .          *  - 

Coldspring 

/5D 

Agent  ...  - 

Kingston  - 

04 

liiiect    ...  - 

Nantucket  - 

Dc5 

David  hJelKnap 

Newburg  - 

Ql 

Mary  hlizabetn 

Portland  - 

Do 

Burhngton 

Albany 

oi 

John    .          -          -  . 

Providence 

Albany           .          .  - 

Providence 

i  o 

Monarch 

Brookhaven 

<  u 

r .  H.  Macy 

New  York  - 

40 

Orbit    .          -          -  - 

Newburg  - 

4b 

Phoenix 

TT     t.r  J 

Hartford 

'7  A 

/4 

Helen  -          -          -  - 

North  Kingston 

44 

Yankee 

TT1«  1 1    T3  -     «  — 

r  all  Kiver  - 

bo 

1 

Delaware 

Kingston    .          -  - 

y4 

Anarew  jacKson 

lVr\iriirir>Vi        _                 ^  ^ 
ilUiWlOIl        -                 *  « 

Miriam 

Albany 

71 

La  Fayette 

Kingston    -  * 

94 

True  American 

New  Baltimore 

38 

Chinee           -          .  . 

Albany 

66 

Levant  ... 

Rondout 

38 

Arrival 

Brookhaven 

49 

Florian 

Sag  Harbor 

47 

Hope    -          .          -  - 

Hudson 

67 

H.  M.  Ridgly  - 

Bridgeport 

60 

Henrietta  Jane 

East  Chester 

55 

Doc.  No.  53. 

49 

LIST- 

—Continued. 

Name  of  vessel. 

Where  v.  wned. 

Tons. 

SLOOPS— Continued. 

Pinion 

- 

Pall  River  - 

39 

Celerity 

- 

Nyack 

50 

Georgiana 

Fall  River  - 

68 

Robert  Burns  - 

- 

Albany 

116 

Grace  Ann 

- 

Stamford 

41 

Meridian 

- 

New  Hamburg 

65 

Martha  Ann 

Cow  Bay  - 

44 

Peter  Hetseger 

- 

Staten  Island 

22 

Citizen 

New  York  - 

73 

Planet  - 

- 

Bridgeport  -• 

60 

Patriot  - 

- 

New  York  - 

32 

Fame  - 

- 

Hudson 

36 

Oliver  Davidson 

Rockaway  - 

25 

Gilford 

Nantucket  • 

46 

Spray  * 

Great  Neck 

41 

Celeste 

- 

New  Haven 

T6 

Belvidere 

- 

Eldeville  - 

90 

Ceres  - 

Schodack  - 

36 

Star 

- 

Stuyvesant 

30 

Independence  - 

- 

Hudson 

53 

J.  J.  Rhodes 

- 

New  York  - 

35 

James  Whiley  • 

- 

New  York  - 

33 

Cubit  -  -9 

- 

Bergen 

18 

Fame  - 

- 

Providence 

50 

Nancy  Pinly  - 

- 

Nantucket  - 

49 

Erie 

- 

New  Bedford 

65 

West  Chester  > 

- 

Saugerties  - 

11 

Alvin  - 

- 

Schodack  - 

45 

Thomas  Colyer 

Sing  Sing  - 

88 

Carrier 

- 

Hudson 

70 

Merchant 

New  York  - 

24 

Louisa 

Cape  May  - 

22 

E.  C.  Delevan 

• 

Staten  Island 

20 

Three  Brothers 

- 

Bristol 

65 

Sally  - 

Bristol 

^0 
ou 

Paris  - 

Norwalk 

71 

Napoleon 

Germantown 

79' 

North  America 

New  York  - 

92 

Elizabeth 

New  York  - 

36^ 

Eliza  Ann 

Nyack 

60 

Westchester 

Catskill 

80  = 

Novelty 

Rockland  - 

46 

Ambassador 

Hempstead  Harbor 

Ohio  . 

Castleton  - 

4 


50 


Doc.  No.  53, 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 


SLOOPS —  Continued. 

Minerva 
Index  - 
Jonah  Smith 
Jane 

Gold  Hunter  - 

D.  E.  Crane  - 

Advance 

Huntress 

General  Batty  - 

Jupiter 

Essex  - 

John  Adams 

J.  Eggberts 

A.  S.  Townsend 

Kimble 

W.  H.  Brewster 

J.  N.  Quackenbush 

Temperance 

Mary  Emily 

Champion 

Splendid 

Revenue 

Unity  - 

Avon  - 

Pilot    -  - 

John  Francis  - 

Atlas  - 

Phoenix 

Christina 

Leader 

William  Penn  - 
Transport 
Nonesuch 
Osborn 

General  Mercer 
Perseverance  - 
J.  Hammond  - 
Wadesman 
Hero  - 
Elector 
Diver  - 

Lady  Washington 

Adelaide 

J.  Gisner 


Where  owned. 


Albany 
New  Bedford 
Islip 
Hudson 
Albany 
Troy  ' 

North  Kingston 
North  Kingston 
Barnstable  - 
Harwich 
Fall  River  - 
South  Amboy 
Staten  Island 
Albany 
Kingston  - 
Hudson 
Albany 
Albany 
Nantucket  - 
Saugerties  - 
Brookhaven 
Rondout 
Brookhaven 
Nantucket  - 
Barnstable 
Brookhaven 
Eddeville  - 
Kingston  - 
Catskill 
Troy 

Dartmouth 
Staten  Island 
Nyack 
Irvin 

Southport  - 

Albany 

Nyack 

Southampton 

Providence 

Milford 

Branford 

New  Haven 

Haverstraw 

Croton 


Doc.  No.  53. 

51 

LIST 

—Continued. 

Name  of  ves^sel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SLOOPS — Continued, 

Stranger 

- 

Sing  Sing  - 

40 

Mary  Elizabeth 

- 

Portland 

68 

XHT     TT  1 

W.  H.  Golyer  - 

Staten  Island 

20 

Despatch 

- 

Coldspring 

49 

Miracle 

Norwalk 

60 

Commodore  Hull 

- 

Brookhaven 

46 

CI  , 

benator 

Westport 

68 

Canton 

- 

Troy 

79 

Providence 

- 

Wareham  - 

48 

Thorn  - 

- 

Bridgeport  - 

49 

Emily  - 

- 

Stamford 

60 

Benjamin  Akin 

■ 

Albany 

105 

Fairfield 

New  York  - 

32 

Kendron 

- 

New  York  -          -  - 

24 

Essex  - 

Kingston  - 

64 

Amanda 

Nyack 

65 

J.  Pierce 

- 

Freetown  - 

39 

Motto  - 

Piermount  - 

80 

HIT      '  J  ■ 

Meridian 

- 

Coldspring 

51 

American  Star  - 

- 

Nyack 

47 

Reputation 

- 

Nyack 

57 

William 

- 

Lippican 

62 

Prudent          - f 

- 

Nantucket  - 

60 

Lawrence 

- 

Derry 

80 

XT'  T 

ti.  Li.  otevens  - 

- 

Coeyman's 

51 

Glance 

- 

Bergen 

12 

XT  4. 

Huntress 

- 

New  Hamburg 

50 

Chase  - 

- 

Bridgeton  - 

41 

Pioneer 

- 

Bridgeton  - 

42 

A.  Van  Cortlandt 

- 

Peekskill  - 

75 

'  Fame  - 

- 

Bridgeport  - 

49 

Peruvian 

- 

Coldspring 

48 

Glide  - 

- 

Barnstable  - 

48 

Ransom 

- 

Hempstead 

25 

F.  W.  Horn 

Norwich 

85 

Hornet 

Albany 

51 

Sharon 

Poughkeepsie 

76 

John  Cock 

New  York  - 

80 

Cabinet 

Eastport 

38 

Hornet 

Beekmantown 

63 

Venice 

Coldspring 

60 

Zoar  - 

Greenwich 

60 

Wave  - 

Staten  Island 

30 

Leader 

Norwalk 

32 

52 


Doc.  No.  53, 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SLOOPS — Continued. 

Commodore  Jones 

Derby 

69 

Richard  M.  Johnson 

Closten 

to 

1711  1_ 

Flask  -          -          -  - 

Brookhaven 

Kfl 

DU 

J.  J.  Wiltsee  - 

Nyack 

DO 

Amity  -          -          -  - 

TVT           "XT  1 

New  York  - 

Ail 

Bell     ...  - 

Portland 

92 

T  J. 

Levant           .          -  . 

Castleton    -     '  - 

OU 

Volunteer  - 

Albany       .          -  . 

Do 

CI  * 

Superior 

Hempstead  Harbor 

A  A 

44 

Henrietta  Jane 

TVT            XT'  1 

New  York  -          -  - 

Dl 

Caroline 

Bridgeton  - 

AX 

Roscius 

Jamestown 

£tQ 
DO 

W.  D.  Waples  - 

Smyrna  - 

Mary  Kimble  - 

Coldspring 

4U 

Arsenal 

Newburg  - 

XQ 

George  Henry  -          -  - 

Sandwich  -          -  - 

AO 

Atlantic 

uordbay     .          -  - 

QK 
OO 

Reindeer 

Port  Elizabeth 

4o 

Emeline 

XT  TT 

New  Haven 

Emily  -          -          -  - 

North  Kingston 

77 

Adventure 

Wilmington 

/IT 
47 

Oyster  Bay 

Lordbay  - 

/SO 

Catherine  Maria 

(jireenport  - 

va 

James  North 

Kingston 

OO 

feophia 

New  York 

QA 
o4 

Share   -          -          -  - 

Oriental 

29 

Robert  vViltsee 

Nyack       -          -  . 

t\J 

Parthenia 

Derby 

AO 

d9 

William  Blair  - 

Nyack 

OU 

Convoy 

Nyack 

53 

Laurel  -         -         -  - 

Nyack       -          -  . 

51 

Java     .          -          -  - 

Darien 

40 

Charles  D.  Belden 

TVT  l_ 

Newburg  - 

Amanda 

Nyack 

70 

Emigrant        -          -  - 

I  roy         -          -  . 

Comet 

West  Farms 

42 

Swallow 

Hempstead 

14 

J.  D.  Noyels 

Haverstraw 

OA 

Pacific 

Hempstead 

45 

Exertion 

Troy 

87 

Hickory  - 

Hempstead 

40 

Ariel    .          .          .  - 

Brookhaven 

60 

Parallel 

River  Head 

72 

Fame  -         -         -  - 

New  York  - 

70 

Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


53 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SLOOPS — Continued. 

Armina 

New  York  - 

56 

Denmark         .          -  - 

Coldspring 

60 

Housatonick    .          -  - 

Bridgeport  - 

50 

Trader 

Chester 

50 

Splendid          -          -  - 

Darien 

68 

Koyal  (Jak  - 

TVT            AT"  1_ 

New  York  - 

80 

Bellona           .          -  - 

Albany 

80 

W.  Davis 

Fort  Montgomery  - 

45 

HIT  il_ 

Monmouth 

^    Hit  i 

Fort  Montgomery  - 

47 

Nancy  Jane 

Southport  - 

40 

State  Rights 

New  Baltimore 

50 

Fairfield 

Southport  - 

70 

Andes  -          -          -  - 

Newburg  • 

50 

Ornament 

Brookhaven 

82 

Thomas 

Philadelphia 

56 

Oypsy  -          -          -  - 

Brookhaven 

60 

Congress  - 

Brookhaven 

70 

Peruvian 

Dobb's  Ferry 

44 

Grand  Criterion 

Islip 

38 

Franklin 

New  Haven 

58 

Gen.  W.  H.  Harrison  - 

Amesville  - 

78 

Ann  Strong 

Northport  - 

49 

Independence  # 

Saybrook  - 

30 

Charles  Wesley 

Huntington 

25 

Mary  Elizabeth 

Staten  Island 

18 

Portsmouth 

Warren 

50 

Simphronia 

Westfield  - 

19 

Monitor 

—  — 

35 

William  Hilman 

Staten  Island 

19 

Mechanic 

Fort  Montgomery  - 

35 

Aj?enosa 

Amesville  - 

31 

Eliza  Hockman 

New  York  - 

66 

Passby 

Westfield  - 

26 

Hannah  Ann  - 

New  York  - 

9 

Trimmer 

Staten  Island 

9 

Aurora 

New  York  - 

44 

Gladiator 

Staten  Island 

14 

Batchelor  - 

Coldspring 

49 

Westerlo 

Stuyvesant 

93 

Ann  - 

Elizabethtown 

40 

Benjamin  Franklin 

66 

Saluda 

Middleton  • 

48 

H.  Edwards 

New  York  - 

58 

John  Fetters 

Castleton  - 

80 

54 


Doc  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  oi  vessel. 

Where  ownea. 

1  ons. 

SLOOPS — Oontiniiecl. 

Byron  -          -          -  - 

oouthport  - 

Dart     -          -          -  - 

North  Haverstraw  - 

DO 

Standard 

Saugerties  -          -  - 

bo 

Catharine  Weiartt 

North  Haverstraw  - 

•7t 
<  1 

Republic         -          -  - 

8^ 
Ot> 

Rensselaer  - 

1  roy         -          .  - 

QCi 
OU 

Sarah.  Prances  -       '  - 

Oyster  Bay  -          -  - 

James  Edger  - 

Staten  Island 

1  K 

15 

Margaret  Jane  -          -  - 

iNew  lork  -          -  - 

Hannah  and  Ellen 

Denisville  -          -  - 

Da 

Apollo  -          -  - 

Stoneybrook 

Williain  o.  MUcneii 

Oriental  - 

Eog  Cabin  - 

i^ape  ividy  -           -  - 

1R 

1  o 

Laurel  - 

Staten  Island 

Q 

O 

iliXJl         -                      ..                      -  - 

oo 

General  Mina   .          -  - 

IMew  York  -          -  - 

AO 

oaniueii  oasbduy 

l-iovrroii 

DfcJIglrll             _                   -  - 

1 

David  Crowell 

Bergen       _          .  - 

1  f> 

Andrew  Jackson 

Hempstead  -          -  - 

Chancellor       _          .  - 

joergen       _          .  - 

1  iniepiece  - 

xVULlvd.  vv  ay    -              -  - 

27 

General  Washington 

Hempstead  -          -  - 

4^ 
ftt> 

Margaret  Shultz 

Bergen       .          -  - 

ou 

Abraham  CassavanI 

Bergen 

1  Q 

Messenger 

Bergen       -          -  - 

1  A 

Mary  Jane       -          -  - 

ijeigen        _           -  - 

1  6 

Transport 

Fort  Montgomery  - 

Emily  -          -          -  - 

Islip            .            .  - 

1  a; 

ID 

James  Butler  - 

Staten  Island 

42 

Faciiic  -          .          -  - 

Staten  Island 

Rebecca  Ann 

Lumber  ton 

41 

Despatch 

Great  Egg  Harbor  - 

4Q 

Peter  Ritter 

New  York  -          -  - 

71 
1 1 

Encore 

Smithtown 

Richard  Allen  - 

Smithtown 

40 

Lookout 

Soiithtown 

40 

Nassau 

Rock  away  -          -  - 

92 

Tnhn  OpiQfrpp     .             .  _ 

Staten  Island 

13 

Farmer 

Brookhaven 

66 

Mountaineer 

Rondout 

93 

Gideon  Lee 

Maiden 

96 

Catharine  Anne 

Fort  Montgomery  - 

40 

Prompter 

New  York  - 

33 

Lady    .          -          .  . 

New  York  - 

55 

Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


55 


Name  of  vessel. 


Where  owned. 


SLOOPS — Continued. 


Celeste 
New  York 
Black  Hawk  - 
Example 
Preceptor 
Hannah  Ann  - 
Missouri 
Delight 

Jane  and  Rachel 

Wandell  Attsgu 

Velocity 

Miller's  Damsel 

Ganges 

Julia  Ann 

Wright 

Fame  - 

Comet 

Henry  Cole 

Emily  Jane 

Louisa 

Wave  - 

Superior 

Liberator  # 

Amanda 

Intripice 

Union 

Miami 

W.  H.  Hawkins 
Pilot 

Tradesman 
Tontine 

Top  Gallant  - 
Elias  Hicks 
Industry 
Mad  Anthony  - 
Gt.  Freeland 
Morning  Star  - 
J.  McEntyre 
Capital 

Benjamin  Stagg 

Visiter 

Vigilant 

Dusty  Miller  - 
New  York 


Norwich 
New  Haven 
Staten  Island 

Northport  - 
South  Amboy 

Wareham  - 

Philadelphia 

Bergen 

Stoneybrook 

New  York  - 

Southport  - 

Trenton 

Falmouth  - 

Bergen 

Fishkill  - 

Perth  Amboy 

Brookhaven 

New  Bedford 

Fall  River  - 

Providence 

Orient 

Bubyton 

Perth  Amboy 

Bergen 

Brookhaven 

Newburg  - 

Barnstable  - 

New  York  - 

Albany 

Philadelphia 

Great  Neck  - 

Cape  May  - 

Fort  Montgomery 

Bergen 
I  Bergen 
I  Bergen 
I  Islip 
I  Bristol 

New  York  - 

Falmouth  - 

North  Kingston 


56 


Doc,  No.  53 
LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SLOOPS — Continued. 

Mary  Howard  - 

New  Bedford 

64 

Express 

Sandwich  - 

80 

Herschel 

Falmouth  - 

31 

Spartan 

New  York  - 

15 

Spy      -  - 

Bergen 

17 

Unexpected 

Bergen       .         -  - 

8 

Rebecca  Brook  - 

Wilmington 

36 

St.  Mary's 

Sandwich  - 

75 

Nimrod 

North  Kingston 

50 

Index   -         -         -  - 

Northport  - 

60 

Joseph  C.  Griggs 

West  Brunswick  - 

61 

Leopard 

Brookhaven 

48 

Fair  Haven 

Providence  - 

53 

Opera   .          -          -  - 

Brookhaven 

70 

Splendid 

Bergen 

5 

Elizabeth  Eliza  - 

Marcus  Hook 

32 

Frankland 

Falmouth  - 

30 

N^pw  Tpr^iPv        _            .•  - 

Bristol        .           -  - 

50 

Union  -          -          -  - 

Brookhaven 

40 

George  Henry  - 

Dennis 

65 

372  sloops. 

Tons 

19,533 

SCHOONERS. 

George  Washington 

New  York  - 

69 

Wikin  -          -          -  . 

Albany       .          -  - 

40 

Ganges  .         -          -  - 

Barnstable  - 

95 

Two  Brothers  - 

Barnstable  - 

50 

Victory  - 

Hudson 

32 

Pacific  - 

New  Haven 

74 

Trial    ...  - 

Providence  - 

96 

Transport 

Barnstable  - 

53 

Clarion  -          .          -  - 

Boston 

74 

Tigress - 

Barnstable  - 

75 

Utica    -          -          -  - 

Barnstable  - 

89 

Elizabeth 

New  Haven 

76 

Moselle 

New  Haven 

Perseverance  - 

New  London 

98 

Heroine 

New  York  - 

54 

Banner 

Boston 

87 

Harriet 

Boston       -  - 

116 

Louise 

Boston 

98 

Stranger 

Barnstable  - 

95 

Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


57 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  own^d. 

Tons. 

SCHOONERS — Continued. 

Detroit 

Boston 

99 

Niagara 

Boston 

99 

Vintage 

Boston 

97 

H.  Curtis 

Boston 

99 

Albany 

Boston 

95 

Carroll 

Cape  May  - 

64 

Elizabeth  and  Rebecca  - 

Albany 

88 

Wave   ...  - 

New  York  - 

34 

Ornament 

Boston 

75 

Balance 

Boston 

74 

Massaiot 

New  Haven 

93 

Cotuit  ...  - 

Barnstable  - 

92 

S.  R.  Smith  - 

New  Haven 

75 

Baltic   ...  - 

Barnstable  - 

92 

Paragon 

New  York  - 

48 

Meclimer 

Nyack 

44 

Colonel  Simons 

-    -  - 

70 

Fair  Trader 

New  York  - 

44 

Phcebe  Ann 

Jamaica 

40 

Erie  - 

May's  Landing 

75 

Adelaide 

New  Bedford 

91 

Atlas     -          -          -  . 

New  York  - 

78 

Arabella 

New  York  - 

45 

Brilliant 

Hempstead  - 

41 

Talent 

Barnstable  - 

80 

Howard 

Hudson 

40 

New  Jersey- 

Albany 

122 

Harriet 

Saugerties  - 

32 

H  IT  ' 

Mmerva 

Norwalk 

81 

William  Henry  - 

Waretown  - 

90 

Outvie  - 

Barnstable  - 

54 

Tiger    -          -          .  . 

New  Bedford 

88 

Exit  .... 

Nyack 

51 

J.  Randolph 

Philadelphia 

74 

Republican 

Philadelphia 

87 

Contractor  .  - 

Schodack  - 

60 

Susan  - 

-  - 

25 

Wave    -          -          .  . 

Morristown 

28 

Vermont 

Barnstable 

65 

Caledonia 

Providence  - 

77 

Florence 

Boston 

83 

Franklin 

Lippican 

49 

Resolution 

Peekskill  - 

40 

Robert  Stockton 

48 

58 


Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SCHOONERS — Continued. 

Mary  Elizabeth - 

Milford 

62 

T.  Piatt 

Haller  creek 

27 

Hetty  Ann 

—  — 

79 

Thomas  Peterkin 

New  London 

73 

T.  H.  Benton  - 

Westfield  - 

56 

Almira  -          -          -  . 

Providence  - 

50 

Superior          _          .  _ 

Herberts  ville 

50 

Friendship 

New  York  - 

37 

Oliver  -          -          -  - 

Barnstable  - 

93 

C.  Dennison 

Albany 

50 

Rachel  Ann 

New  York  - 

40 

Spry  .... 

Albany 

84 

Adeline 

Sing  Sing  - 

60 

J.  W.  Laurence 

Hempstead  - 

26 

Lewis  Cass 

Staten  Island 

70 

Mexican 

Albany 

80 

New  Jersey 

Camden 

31 

General  Giles  - 

New  York  - 

60 

Aid  - 

Boston 

82 

Ariel     -          .          .  . 

Jersey  city  - 

40 

American  Oak  - 

Troy 

49 

American  Eade 

Lumberton  - 

57 

b  ranees 

Sweedsborough 

71 

Ann  Ragg 

Harlaem 

57 

C.  S.  Stuart 

-  - 

62 

H.  Ames 

Taunton 

60 

Morning  Star  - 

May's  Landing 

78 

A.  C.  Zabriskie 

Hackensack 

49 

Merchant 

Poughkeepsie 

40 

Kentucky 

Troy 

100 

Genius  -          >          -  . 

Nyack 

40 

President 

Providence  - 

74 

Pilgrim 

Hackensack 

47 

Margaret  Klots  - 

-                      ■  - 

50 

H.  Chase 

New  York  - 

66 

Northern  Liberties 

New  York  - 

50 

Washington 

Tarry  town  - 

30 

Clarissa           _          _  . 

r  laiiana     .          -  - 

40 

Norwich 

Barnstable  - 

79 

Augusta 

Barnstable  - 

73 

Frucep  ...  - 

Washington 

25 

Herald  -          .          .  . 

Barnstable  - 

50 

Catharine  Margaret 

Peekskill 

44 

Lady  Tompkins 

Kingston  - 

40 

Doc.  No.  53. 

59 

LIST 

— Continued. 

Name  of  vessel. 

TV  iitrit;  uwiicLi. 

Ton?. 

SCHOONERS — Continued. 

Catharine  Jane  - 

Belleville  - 

66 

Atlantic 

Charleston  - 

94 

Signal  -          -  - 

Cold  Spring 

48 

Mary  Alniy 

New  York  - 

30 

Uncas  - 

Norwich 

74 

Independence  - 

Staten  Island 

40 

Edgar  -          -  - 

Wilmington 

61 

Champion 

Westfield  - 

12 

Henrietta  and  Hannah  - 

White  Marsh 

63 

Mary  Baker 

-  - 

40 

Harriet  Jane 

Bound  Brook 

52 

Osceola 

Fall  River  - 

33 

Montezuma 

New  York  - 

67 

John  Orser 

Piscataway  - 

60 

Wellington 

Boston 

80 

H.  Franklin 

Barnstable  - 

85 

Liberty 

Cape  May  - 

26 

DeWitt  Clinton 

—  — 

148 

Ellen  - 

New  York  - 

61 

Faithful 

Barnstable  - 

74 

Telegraph 

Dennis 

80 

Hulday  West  - 

New  York  - 

96 

W.  B.  Marsh    -  9 

New  York  - 

75 

Envoy  - 

Barnstable  - 

70 

Criterion 

Shrewsbury 

44 

Cape  Henry 

Hempstead  - 

23 

Rival  - 

Cold  Spring 

42 

Galena  -          -  - 

Gloucester  Furnace 

116 

Jame^s  Smith 

•^(^LXXV^O  K^XXXXt'i.1 

Huntington 

48 

Andes  -          -  - 

New  London 

74 

Sarah    -          .  . 

North  Kingston 

84 

Port  Marten 

South  Oyster  Bay  - 

40 

Eleanor 

West  Troy  - 

50 

New  York 

Elizabethtown 

34 

Hornet  - 

Taunton 

74 

Maria  - 

Providence  - 

92 

Eliza  - 

Harwich 

43 

A.  Ophelia 

Stonington  - 

78 

Mary  Ann 

New  York  - 

50 

Highlander 

May's  Landing 

110 

Rebecca  and  Abigail .  - 

Egg  Harbor 

80 

Mirror  - 

New  York  - 

109 

James  Keeler  - 

Orient 

142 

Harriet  Smith  - 

Sag  Harbor  - 

99 

t 


60 


Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

SCHOONERS — Continued. 

Champion 

Staten  Island 

97 

Carroll  ...  - 

New  York  - 

50 

Amanda 

New  York  - 

100 

Senator 

New  York  - 

107 

Argyle  -          -          -  . 

New  York  - 

40 

J.  P.  Crouch  - 

Port  Elizabeth 

120 

Pearl    .          -          -  - 

Allenstown 

47 

Rienzi  .... 

Yarmouth  - 

66 

Elizabeth 

Yarmouth  - 

75 

Independence  - 

New  York  - 

50 

Jane  Henderson 

Port  Elizabeth 

91 

A.  C.  Totten  - 

Staten  Island 

48 

William  S.  Root 

Tompkinsville 

50 

Fayette 

Yarmouth  - 

40 

Juno  .... 

Barnstable  - 

79 

Charlotte 

Dennis 

59 

William  Henry  - 

Dennis 

53 

Jane  Sally  Frances 

Yarmouth  - 

70 

Gold  Hunter  - 

Dennis 

55 

Powhatan  ... 

Port  Republic 

102 

Ann  Maria  ... 

Staten  Island 

15 

Mary  Jane 

Barnstable  - 

60 

Comet  -          -          -  - 

Perth  Amboy 

20 

Temperance 

Philadelphia 

47 

Four  Sisters 

Shrewsbury 

35 

Ann  Maria 

Sandwich  - 

71 

Blue  Rock 

Barnstable  - 

65 

Amethyst 

Dennis 

52 

Elizabeth 

Dennis     -  -          -  - 

118 

Kosciusko 

Barnstable  - 

66 

Martha  .... 

Barnstable  - 

76 

Susan  .... 

Falmouth  - 

72 

Mahogany  Liter 

Bergen 

48 

Caroline  Frances 

Wilmington 

51 

Dolphin 

Yarmouth  - 

47 

Spy      -          -          -  - 

Barnstable  - 

70 

Sarah  Matilda  - 

New  York  - 

47 

Joseph  Brown  - 

Milford 

127 

Joseph  .... 

Falmouth  - 

69 

William  Hicks  - 

New  York  - 

45 

Abigail  - 

Yarmouth  - 

60 

Shoal  Water 

Portland 

57 

Union  -          -          -  . 

New  York  - 

50 

Ann  Elizabeth  - 

Newark 

80 

I 


Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


61 


Name  of  vessel. 


SCHOONERS — Continued, 

Resolve 

American 

Undaunted 

Cinderella 

Stranger 

Eliza  and  Nancy 

Post  Boy 

Caroline 

O.  H.  Perry  - 

Odd  Fellow  - 

Franklin 

C.  W.  Zabriskie 

Betsy  and  Deborah 

Mary  Jane 

Mary  Catharine 

Bruce  - 

215  schooners. 

scows. 

Adrian  -         -  - 

Calico  - 

Charles- 

Despatch 

Emperor 

J.  Horner 

J.  Marshall 

Mary  Jane 

Othello  - 

Osceola 

R.  J.  Chapman  - 
Temperance 
Union  - 
Washington 
Abaellino 
Beaver  - 

16  scows. 


STEAMBOATS. 


Wave  - 
Portsmouth 
Utica  - 


Where  owned. 


Yarmouth  - 
New  York  - 
Brooklyn  - 
New  London 
West  Farms 
Dennis 
Yarmouth  - 
Troy 

JN'ew  York  - 

Dennis 
Hackensack 
Yarmouth  - 
New  York  • 
Baltimore  • 
Portland 


Troy 

Kingston  - 

West  Baltimore 

Bristol 

Lansingburg 

Nail  Works  - 

Rondout 

Lansingburg 

Nail  Works  - 

Catskill 

Kingston  - 

Rondout 

Lansingburg 

West  Troy  - 

Albany 

Troy 


New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 


Tons 


Tons 


Tons. 


50 
65 
40 
64 
45 
70 
70 
92 
43 
81 
90 

105 
65 
19 
96 

100 

13,781 


80 
40 
40 
50 
40 
40 
80 
87 
40 
70 
40 
40 
40 
63 
80 
50 

880 


200 
211 
340 


62 


Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


STEAMBOATS — Continued. 

Swallow 

Diamond 

Norwich 

R.  L.  Stevens  - 

Charter  Oak  - 

Rochester 

O.  Ellsworth  - 

Westchester 

Curtis  Peck 

John  Mason 

J.  C.  Heart 

Indiana 

Pennsylvania  - 
North  America  - 
South  America  - 
Troy  - 
Maria  - 
Hope  - 
Black  Diamond 
Napoleon 
Experiment 
Star 

Legislator 
Sandusky 
Empire 
Swiftsure 
Rufus  King    .  - 
Illinois 
New  Jersey 
Vulcan  - 
Mount  Pleasant 
Mohawk 
Albany  - 
Columbia 
Knickerbocker  - 
United  States  - 
R.  Brown 
Commerce 
Fairly  - 
WiUiamsburg  - 
Boston  - 
Pilot  - 
Phoenix 
Telegraph 


Where  owned. 


New  York  - 
Albany 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
Troy 
Troy 
Albany 
Albany 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
Troy 
Albany 
Hudson 
Princeton  - 
New  York  - 
Albany 
Caldwell  - 
Albany 
Albany 
Troy 

New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
Philadelphia 
Princeton  - 
Albany 
Hartford 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
Albany 
Albany 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 
New  York  - 


47  steamboats. 


13,T67 


Doc.  No.  53,  63 


LIST— Continued. 


XI  dill V,  Ul  vcoocK 

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1  71 

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Ohio 

Albany       .          -  . 

J.  n,  rtdlilUUIlt; 

Albany       -  - 

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Albany  ~ 

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Albany  - 

900 

OpicIJLUU.                 -                  -  - 

Albany       -          -  . 

Th^.     (^1^^171  n  nr 

Hj.   wUVvlIlg           _                  _  _ 

Albany  - 

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iiiodny        -           _  . 

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AvUdico  Ici              -                 -  - 

Aiuany       -          .  _ 

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iiioany       -           -  _ 

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J_<UU1\.  UUl  L                   -                    »  - 

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inudiiy       -           -  . 

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V_>'lt/ VcidllU.             -                _  _ 

Albany       .          _  - 

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W   R  Wnnrl 

Albany       .          -  . 

04l: 

T  WppH 

J.   VV  ccU  - 

Albany  ... 

77 

Albany       ,          -  . 

DO 

Bunker  Hill 

Alhanv  ... 

71 

Superior 

Albany 

139 

Brooklyn         -          -  - 

Albany 

80 

J.  Buckbee 

Albany 

74 

Missourian 

Albany 

60 

B.  C.  Brainard  - 

Albany 

98 

C.  Durant 

Albany 

143 

64 


Doc.  No.  53. 

LIST— Continued. 


Name  of  vessel. 

Where  owned. 

Tons. 

TOW  BARGES — Continued. 

Miami  -          -          .  . 

Albany 

Washington 

Albany       -          .  - 

40 

John  Tyler 

Albany 

n 

Henry  Clay- 

Albany 

Veto     -   '  - 

Albany 

Barge  No.  3  •> 

Albany 

lit 

Albany  -          -          -  - 

New  Brunswick 

120 

Cayuga 

New  Brunswick 

13ii 

J.  Wurts 

Albany       .          .  . 

J.  Barleycorn  - 

Albany 

Maxwell 

Albany 

Middlesex 

New  Brunswick 

lif 

New  York 

New  Brunswick 

112 

iTNew  jersey      -          -  . 

ilcW  JJlUnoWlL/K  *• 

112 

Oneida  -          -          -  . 

New  Brunswick 

126 

Providence 

New  York  - 

135 

Sturgeon 

New  Brunswick 

139 

De  Witt  Barclay 

New  York  - 

60 

Imperial 

Albany 

60 

R.  F.  Slack  = 

Albany 

70 

64  barges. 

Tons 

9,975 

RECAPITULATION. 


372  sloops 
215  schooners 

47  steamboats 

16  scows 

64  tow  barges 

714 


Tons. 

19,533 
13,781 
13,767 


9,975 
57,936 

JOHN  L.  HYATT,  Dock  master, 

Albany,  New  York. 


I 


5  ox  t3 


